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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. roll — a cake
  3. mark — a trace
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. rule — a law
  6. board — a committee
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. cold — not warm
  14. root — of a plant
  15. board — to get on
  16. stand — to bear
  17. rule — government
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. mark — a grade
  20. perch — the fish
  21. roll — a list
  22. root — the cause
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. cold — an illness

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