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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 116 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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. pit — a hole
  4. root — the cause
  5. bank — for money
  6. ground — the earth
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. rule — a law
  10. bank — of a river
  11. snap — to click
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. pit — in a race
  14. ground — crushed
  15. cell — in biology
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. cell — a phone
  18. bank — for money
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. root — of a plant
  21. perch — the fish
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. ground — a position
  24. rule — government

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