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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. bound — obliged
  3. chip — to eat
  4. fine — high quality
  5. rule — a law
  6. tear — to rip
  7. fine — all right
  8. court — for sport
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. bound — tied together
  11. rule — government
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. date — the fruit
  14. bound — certain
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. tear — from crying
  17. root — the cause
  18. court — of law
  19. court — of a king
  20. root — of a plant
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. chip — for betting
  23. root — of a word
  24. fine — a penalty

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