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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 116 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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. rule — a law
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. suit — clothes
  5. track — a path
  6. suit — in cards
  7. mark — a trace
  8. root — of a plant
  9. root — of a word
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. press — newspapers
  14. track — a song
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. chair — a leader
  17. track — to keep track
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. press — a publisher
  20. mark — a grade
  21. root — the cause
  22. suit — to fit
  23. press — to push
  24. chair — a professorship

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