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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. root — the cause
  5. root — of a word
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. board — a committee
  9. rule — a law
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. root — of a plant
  14. rule — government
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. board — to get on
  18. chip — to eat
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. chip — for betting
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wound — an injury

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