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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. track — a song
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. track — a path
  5. root — of a plant
  6. plane — a tool
  7. pass — a permit
  8. file — a tool
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. squash — the sport
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. firm — steady
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. file — a line of people
  15. root — of a word
  16. squash — to crush
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. file — a document
  19. root — the cause
  20. rule — government
  21. track — to keep track
  22. firm — a company
  23. firm — decided
  24. pass — to spend time

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