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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. squash — the sport
  3. ball — a dance
  4. root — of a plant
  5. bear — the animal
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. present — the time now
  11. present — there
  12. rule — a law
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. present — a gift
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. date — the fruit
  17. root — the cause
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. root — of a word
  22. bear — the animal
  23. ball — a great time
  24. squash — to crush

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