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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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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. root — the cause
  3. rule — government
  4. rule — a law
  5. squash — to crush
  6. bore — to tire
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. root — of a plant
  10. cold — not warm
  11. charge — in control
  12. squash — the sport
  13. root — of a word
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. charge — electricity
  17. pound — a weight
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. charge — a price
  20. stand — to bear
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. cold — an illness

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