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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 120 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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. cap — a hat
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. file — a line of people
  5. cue — for pool
  6. root — the cause
  7. file — a tool
  8. root — of a word
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. race — humankind
  11. cap — a lid
  12. cue — a signal
  13. march — the month
  14. root — of a plant
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. cue — a hint
  17. cap — of ice
  18. object — an aim
  19. object — a thing
  20. march — the month
  21. race — a contest
  22. file — a document
  23. object — to protest
  24. march — music

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