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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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. toast — bread
  4. cap — of ice
  5. bulb — for light
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. ground — the earth
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. race — a contest
  10. ground — a position
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. root — of a word
  15. bulb — for light
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. race — humankind
  18. root — of a plant
  19. ground — crushed
  20. cap — a hat
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. race — the arms race
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. cap — a lid

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