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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 124 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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. charge — in control
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. rule — government
  6. can — to be able to
  7. rule — a law
  8. track — to keep track
  9. suit — in cards
  10. suit — to fit
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. suit — clothes
  13. root — of a word
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. charge — a price
  16. charge — electricity
  17. root — the cause
  18. can — a tin
  19. cold — not warm
  20. root — of a plant
  21. track — a song
  22. can — a tin
  23. cold — an illness
  24. rule — to rule out

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