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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. rule — government
  3. pop — music
  4. root — of a word
  5. key — the most important part
  6. pop — soda
  7. root — of a plant
  8. rock — a stone
  9. rule — a law
  10. bound — certain
  11. bound — obliged
  12. key — in music
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. pop — to visit
  15. key — for a lock
  16. stock — shares
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. bound — tied together
  19. root — the cause
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. stock — goods
  24. pitch — completely

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