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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. rest — what's left
  3. squash — the sport
  4. field — a subject
  5. key — in music
  6. root — the cause
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. field — farmland
  10. rule — a law
  11. field — for sport
  12. root — of a plant
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rash — a series
  15. key — the most important part
  16. key — for a lock
  17. root — of a word
  18. lean — thin
  19. rash — hasty
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. squash — to crush
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. rest — a break
  24. lean — to bend

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