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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: rule · root · bear · ground · kick · kid · ball · leaves

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. 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. kick — with a leg
  2. rule — government
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. root — of a plant
  5. ball — a great time
  6. kid — to tease
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. root — of a word
  9. ball — a dance
  10. bear — the animal
  11. kid — child
  12. ground — the earth
  13. root — the cause
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. ground — a position
  19. ground — crushed
  20. bear — the animal
  21. kick — in football
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. 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