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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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. wind — moving air
  5. track — a path
  6. root — of a plant
  7. track — a song
  8. root — the cause
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — a tin
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. track — to keep track
  14. date — the fruit
  15. bear — the animal
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. rule — government
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. wind — moving air
  20. can — to be able to
  21. bear — the animal
  22. rule — a law
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. stand — to bear

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