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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. root — of a word
  4. cold — not warm
  5. firm — decided
  6. rule — government
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. firm — a company
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. rule — a law
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. root — of a plant
  13. swing — to play on
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. cold — an illness
  16. swing — in golf
  17. craft — boats
  18. court — of law
  19. swing — music
  20. court — of a king
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. craft — a skill
  23. firm — steady
  24. court — for sport

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