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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mate · court · rule · chip · root · ruler

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. rule — government
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. court — for sport
  5. root — of a plant
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. root — of a word
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. mate — to breed
  11. mate — a friend
  12. root — the cause
  13. court — of a king
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. chip — for betting
  16. court — of law
  17. mate — a partner
  18. rule — a law

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