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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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. bore — to tire
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. rule — government
  7. wind — moving air
  8. rule — a law
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. game — a match
  11. root — of a plant
  12. game — wild animals
  13. cue — a hint
  14. ball — a great time
  15. cue — a signal
  16. cue — for pool
  17. bore — to drill
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. root — the cause
  20. wind — moving air
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. chair — a leader
  23. ball — a dance
  24. bore — gave birth

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