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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. cell — in biology
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. march — the month
  5. club — a group
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. root — the cause
  8. root — of a plant
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. march — the month
  11. bat — the animal
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. lean — to bend
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. lean — thin
  17. cell — a phone
  18. march — music
  19. club — for dancing
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. rule — government
  22. root — of a word
  23. club — for golf
  24. patient — a sick person

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