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

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. court — for sport
  3. tube — a container
  4. pass — a permit
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. root — of a word
  7. current — of water
  8. root — of a plant
  9. stem — to come from
  10. tube — the underground
  11. race — a contest
  12. mate — a friend
  13. court — of a king
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. race — the arms race
  16. mate — a partner
  17. mate — to breed
  18. current — happening now
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. current — electric
  21. court — of law
  22. race — humankind
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. stem — a stem cell

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