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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. game — a match
  3. squash — the sport
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. root — the cause
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. current — electric
  8. squash — to crush
  9. root — of a word
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. race — the arms race
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. game — wild animals
  15. present — the time now
  16. race — humankind
  17. root — of a plant
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. current — of water
  21. current — happening now
  22. present — a gift
  23. pound — a weight
  24. present — there

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