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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. root — the cause
  4. row — a line
  5. ball — a great time
  6. roll — a list
  7. row — to paddle
  8. toast — bread
  9. root — of a plant
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. ball — a dance
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. rule — a law
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. rule — government
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. root — of a word
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. roll — a cake
  24. chair — a leader

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