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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: rock · rule · rash · temple · root · foot · track · content

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. rash — a series
  3. rash — hasty
  4. content — the amount
  5. track — to keep track
  6. rock — a stone
  7. rule — a law
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. root — of a word
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. root — of a plant
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. foot — a measure
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. content — happy
  18. rock — music
  19. track — a path
  20. root — the cause
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. track — a song
  24. temple — a place of worship

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