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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. court — of law
  4. bark — to shout
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. march — the month
  7. root — the cause
  8. rule — a law
  9. fine — high quality
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. court — for sport
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. bass — the fish
  15. march — music
  16. root — of a word
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. rule — government
  19. chip — for betting
  20. march — the month
  21. chip — to eat
  22. court — of a king
  23. bass — low music
  24. root — of a plant

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