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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 120 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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. present — the time now
  3. present — there
  4. pop — soda
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. root — of a plant
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. present — a gift
  10. rule — a law
  11. pop — to visit
  12. root — the cause
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bound — certain
  15. file — a tool
  16. pop — music
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. file — a document
  20. bound — obliged
  21. root — of a word
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. stand — to bear
  24. file — a line of people

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