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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. root — the cause
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. root — of a plant
  7. rush — hurry
  8. swing — in golf
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. swing — music
  11. prune — to trim
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. rule — a law
  14. object — to protest
  15. prune — to trim
  16. lie — to recline
  17. pitch — completely
  18. swing — to play on
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. object — a thing
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. root — of a word
  24. object — an aim

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