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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 a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. lean — thin
  3. root — of a word
  4. object — an aim
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. game — a match
  7. object — to protest
  8. lean — to bend
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. content — the amount
  11. game — wild animals
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. pit — a hole
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. row — a line
  17. rule — government
  18. rule — a law
  19. content — happy
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. row — to paddle
  22. root — the cause
  23. pit — in a race
  24. object — a thing

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