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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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. 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. scale — for weighing
  2. race — the arms race
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. root — of a word
  5. scale — size or range
  6. scale — in music
  7. bound — tied together
  8. race — humankind
  9. root — the cause
  10. board — a committee
  11. rash — hasty
  12. rash — a series
  13. bound — certain
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. band — a music group
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. bound — obliged
  18. race — a contest
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — the fish
  21. board — to get on
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. band — a ring
  24. 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