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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. degree — temperature
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. ground — the earth
  6. degree — from a university
  7. root — the cause
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. root — of a plant
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. degree — an amount
  14. band — a ring
  15. band — a music group
  16. rule — a law
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. ground — a position
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. root — of a word
  23. ground — crushed
  24. leaves — to go away

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