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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 120 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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. bound — certain
  3. root — of a word
  4. game — wild animals
  5. root — of a plant
  6. firm — decided
  7. firm — steady
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. rash — a series
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. season — in sport
  13. season — of the year
  14. game — a match
  15. rash — hasty
  16. root — the cause
  17. firm — a company
  18. bound — obliged
  19. bound — tied together
  20. cap — a hat
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. cap — a lid
  24. rash — on the skin

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