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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 120 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 chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. rule — a law
  4. season — of the year
  5. foot — a measure
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. fine — all right
  8. pit — a hole
  9. clip — a video
  10. fine — high quality
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. pit — in a race
  13. clip — for paper
  14. season — in sport
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. root — the cause
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. root — of a plant
  20. rule — government
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. root — of a word
  23. clip — to cut
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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