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

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. charge — a price
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. root — the cause
  7. race — a contest
  8. race — humankind
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. charge — in control
  11. race — the arms race
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. prune — to trim
  14. sharp — clever
  15. charge — electricity
  16. prune — to trim
  17. pass — a permit
  18. root — of a plant

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