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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. pit — in a race
  6. rash — hasty
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. bulb — for light
  9. pit — a hole
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. root — of a plant
  12. charge — electricity
  13. rule — a law
  14. snap — to click
  15. root — of a word
  16. board — to get on
  17. rash — a series
  18. board — a committee
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. charge — a price
  21. root — the cause
  22. bulb — for light
  23. charge — in control
  24. rule — government

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