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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. squash — to crush
  4. bulb — for light
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. root — of a plant
  8. bulb — for light
  9. root — the cause
  10. roll — a list
  11. root — of a word
  12. sharp — clever
  13. roll — a cake
  14. pound — a weight
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. squash — the sport
  19. spell — magic
  20. rule — government
  21. spell — a short time
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. spell — letters
  24. sharp — exactly

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