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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. rule — government
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. charge — a price
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. game — wild animals
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. mug — a face
  14. rule — a law
  15. mug — a cup
  16. bear — the animal
  17. game — a match
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. root — of a plant
  20. charge — electricity
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. root — of a word
  23. charge — in control
  24. mug — to rob

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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