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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 need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. row — to paddle
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. rule — government
  8. row — a line
  9. game — a match
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. rule — a law
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. kid — to tease
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. root — of a plant
  19. bark — to shout
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. game — wild animals
  22. kid — child
  23. pound — a weight
  24. root — of a word

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