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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. race — the arms race
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. root — the cause
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. face — to point toward
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. race — humankind
  9. deal — to handle
  10. race — a contest
  11. face — part of the head
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. stock — goods
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. root — of a plant
  16. root — of a word
  17. face — to confront
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. stock — shares
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. wound — an injury
  22. bark — to shout
  23. wound — an injury
  24. deal — a big deal

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