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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 chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. chair — a leader
  5. current — of water
  6. current — electric
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. current — happening now
  10. rush — hurry
  11. root — the cause
  12. tube — the underground
  13. root — of a word
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. root — of a plant
  16. rule — a law
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. hand — help
  20. tube — a container
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. hand — in cards
  24. rule — government

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