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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. rule — government
  3. court — of a king
  4. root — of a plant
  5. land — to come down
  6. rock — music
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. root — of a word
  9. bear — the animal
  10. rule — a law
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. land — ground
  14. root — the cause
  15. charge — electricity
  16. land — a country
  17. charge — a price
  18. court — for sport
  19. rock — a stone
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. charge — in control
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. court — of law

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