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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. rule — government
  3. rule — a law
  4. root — of a plant
  5. ball — a great time
  6. root — of a word
  7. ball — a dance
  8. wake — a trail
  9. mark — a trace
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. tube — the underground
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. root — the cause
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. mark — a grade
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. tube — a container

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