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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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. rock — to move gently
  4. board — to get on
  5. track — to keep track
  6. root — the cause
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. face — to point toward
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. rule — government
  12. mark — a trace
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. track — a path
  16. track — a song
  17. board — a committee
  18. face — to confront
  19. rock — a stone
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. face — part of the head
  22. rock — music
  23. root — of a plant
  24. mark — a grade

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