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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. rule — government
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. track — to keep track
  6. root — of a word
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. mark — a grade
  9. swing — to play on
  10. swing — in golf
  11. mark — a trace
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. ball — a dance
  15. swing — music
  16. track — a path
  17. track — a song
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. root — the cause
  20. ball — a great time
  21. root — of a plant
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. rule — a law
  24. jam — in traffic

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