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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: rest · club · object · firm · rule · present · root · pitcher

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. object — an aim
  3. club — for dancing
  4. firm — decided
  5. root — of a plant
  6. present — the time now
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. rule — a law
  9. firm — steady
  10. root — the cause
  11. object — to protest
  12. club — a group
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. present — a gift
  15. root — of a word
  16. present — there
  17. rest — a break
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. rule — government
  20. object — a thing
  21. firm — a company
  22. club — for golf
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. rest — what's left

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