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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. swing — in golf
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. root — of a plant
  6. rule — a law
  7. clip — for paper
  8. chair — a leader
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. swing — to play on
  11. rule — government
  12. root — of a word
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. cue — a hint
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. clip — a video
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. root — the cause
  19. clip — to cut
  20. cue — a signal
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. cue — for pool
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. temple — a place of worship

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