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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. rash — a series
  3. rule — a law
  4. board — a committee
  5. wound — an injury
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. capital — money
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. board — to get on
  14. wound — an injury
  15. rash — hasty
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. rule — government
  19. root — of a word
  20. kid — to tease
  21. kid — child
  22. root — of a plant
  23. capital — a city
  24. root — the cause

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