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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. mark — a trace
  3. sharp — clever
  4. rule — government
  5. rule — a law
  6. drill — army training
  7. mark — a grade
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. root — the cause
  12. bound — tied together
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. drill — the tool
  15. bound — certain
  16. key — in music
  17. key — the most important part
  18. bound — obliged
  19. root — of a word
  20. key — for a lock
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. root — of a plant
  24. drill — a practice

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