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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. rash — hasty
  3. root — of a plant
  4. track — a song
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. march — music
  8. saw — the tool
  9. track — to keep track
  10. bear — the animal
  11. march — the month
  12. rule — a law
  13. root — the cause
  14. rash — a series
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. rule — government
  17. ball — a dance
  18. root — of a word
  19. saw — the tool
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. bear — the animal
  23. ball — a great time
  24. track — a path

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