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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. pit — in a race
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. pit — a hole
  6. ball — a great time
  7. mate — a partner
  8. bulb — for light
  9. mate — to breed
  10. mate — a friend
  11. spell — letters
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. root — the cause
  14. rule — government
  15. ball — a dance
  16. root — of a plant
  17. root — of a word
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. bulb — for light
  23. spell — a short time
  24. spell — magic

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