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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 116 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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. pit — a hole
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. root — of a word
  5. wax — to grow
  6. fine — high quality
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. squash — to crush
  12. fine — all right
  13. rule — government
  14. spell — a short time
  15. rule — a law
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. spell — magic
  18. pound — a weight
  19. root — of a plant
  20. spell — letters
  21. root — the cause
  22. pit — in a race
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. wax — in the ear

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