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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. shower — rain
  3. club — for dancing
  4. root — of a plant
  5. root — the cause
  6. shower — to wash
  7. prune — to trim
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. prune — to trim
  12. cap — a lid
  13. cap — a hat
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. cap — of ice
  16. rule — a law
  17. rule — government
  18. root — of a word
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. fork — in a road
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. club — a group
  24. mouse — the animal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com