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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. deal — to handle
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. root — of a word
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. key — the most important part
  12. rule — a law
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. board — to get on
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. key — for a lock
  19. board — a committee
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. root — the cause
  22. key — in music
  23. root — of a plant
  24. ruler — a monarch

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