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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. drill — a practice
  4. root — of a plant
  5. rule — government
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. tube — the underground
  9. tube — a container
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. chip — for betting
  13. chip — to eat
  14. row — to paddle
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. rule — a law
  17. rash — a series
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. row — a line
  20. drill — army training
  21. rash — hasty
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. drill — the tool
  24. root — of a word

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