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

Word bank: rule · root · wake · swing · mine · mug · bay · pit

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. mug — a face
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. pit — a hole
  5. mug — to rob
  6. mug — a cup
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. mine — for digging
  9. wake — a trail
  10. rule — a law
  11. root — of a word
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. swing — to play on
  15. pit — in a race
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. swing — music
  18. root — of a plant
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. rule — government
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. root — the cause
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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