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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. roll — a list
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. sharp — clever
  5. root — the cause
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. root — of a plant
  8. cap — a hat
  9. roll — a cake
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. race — humankind
  12. cap — of ice
  13. cap — a lid
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. staff — a stick
  16. staff — employees
  17. race — the arms race
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. race — a contest
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. root — of a word

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