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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. shower — to wash
  3. race — the arms race
  4. track — a song
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. track — to keep track
  7. root — of a word
  8. shower — rain
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. root — the cause
  11. rule — a law
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. rule — government
  15. track — a path
  16. race — humankind
  17. toast — bread
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. root — of a plant
  23. kick — in football
  24. race — a contest

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