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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. mine — for digging
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. rule — a law
  7. mark — a grade
  8. ground — the earth
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. root — of a word
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. ground — a position
  13. root — of a plant
  14. rule — government
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. wake — a trail
  17. roll — a cake
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. root — the cause
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. ground — crushed
  24. mark — a trace

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