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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. rule — government
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. rest — what's left
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. rule — a law
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. root — the cause
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bound — certain
  14. mine — for digging
  15. rest — what's left
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. bound — obliged
  18. pass — a permit
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. rest — a break
  21. bound — tied together
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. root — of a plant
  24. root — of a word

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