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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. root — of a plant
  3. track — to keep track
  4. season — in sport
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. bank — of a river
  9. root — of a word
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. bass — the fish
  12. season — of the year
  13. bass — low music
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. track — a path
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. track — a song
  18. rule — a law
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. bank — for money
  22. bank — for money
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. root — the cause

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