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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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Word bank
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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. rule — government
  4. root — the cause
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. kick — in football
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. pop — soda
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. dip — to sink
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. pop — music
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. rule — a law
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. root — of a plant
  22. chair — a leader
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. pop — to visit

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