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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. march — the month
  3. lean — thin
  4. march — the month
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. root — the cause
  10. root — of a word
  11. root — of a plant
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. date — the fruit
  15. lean — to bend
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. fork — in a road
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. march — music
  22. deal — to handle
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. rule — a law

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