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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. root — of a word
  3. swing — music
  4. rule — government
  5. drill — army training
  6. rule — a law
  7. face — to point toward
  8. drill — the tool
  9. key — in music
  10. track — a song
  11. face — part of the head
  12. face — to confront
  13. track — a path
  14. board — a committee
  15. track — to keep track
  16. key — for a lock
  17. swing — to play on
  18. root — the cause
  19. swing — in golf
  20. board — to get on
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. drill — a practice
  24. key — the most important part

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