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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. present — a gift
  3. root — of a word
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. deal — to handle
  6. chip — for betting
  7. chip — to eat
  8. root — of a plant
  9. current — electric
  10. root — the cause
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. present — there
  13. court — for sport
  14. court — of law
  15. rule — a law
  16. current — of water
  17. rule — government
  18. present — the time now
  19. court — of a king
  20. object — an aim
  21. object — to protest
  22. current — happening now
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. rule — to rule out

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