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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 116 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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. swing — in golf
  3. pop — to visit
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. root — of a plant
  8. bear — the animal
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. last — finally
  11. pop — soda
  12. rule — a law
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. rule — government
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. pop — music
  18. root — the cause
  19. swing — music
  20. root — of a word
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. swing — to play on
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. last — final

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