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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. root — the cause
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — for money
  5. rash — hasty
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. sharp — clever
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. root — of a plant
  11. squash — to crush
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. rash — a series
  14. race — the arms race
  15. race — a contest
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. squash — the sport
  19. wake — a trail
  20. pit — in a race
  21. root — of a word
  22. bank — of a river
  23. race — humankind
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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