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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. rule — a law
  5. rule — government
  6. band — a ring
  7. pitch — completely
  8. root — of a word
  9. root — the cause
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. rash — hasty
  12. staff — employees
  13. march — the month
  14. march — music
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. rash — a series
  17. march — the month
  18. staff — employees
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. band — a music group
  22. staff — a stick
  23. root — of a plant
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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