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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 120 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 ________________ went through the wall.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. march — the month
  3. root — the cause
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. board — a committee
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. march — the month
  13. board — to get on
  14. rule — a law
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. rule — government
  18. pit — a hole
  19. mine — for digging
  20. root — of a word
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. root — of a plant
  23. march — music
  24. pit — in a race

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