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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. root — the cause
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. root — of a plant
  6. field — for sport
  7. rule — a law
  8. ball — a dance
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. root — of a word
  12. bulb — for light
  13. rule — government
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. fine — high quality
  16. ball — a great time
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. field — a subject
  20. perch — the fish
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. field — farmland
  24. bulb — for light

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