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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. root — of a word
  3. stand — to bear
  4. present — the time now
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. ground — a position
  7. ground — the earth
  8. rule — government
  9. root — the cause
  10. fall — the season
  11. board — a committee
  12. fall — to drop
  13. ground — crushed
  14. root — of a plant
  15. present — a gift
  16. bore — to tire
  17. fall — to drop
  18. bore — to drill
  19. board — to get on
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. present — there
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. board — a flat piece

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