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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. race — the arms race
  4. track — to keep track
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. track — a song
  7. rock — a stone
  8. race — humankind
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. track — a path
  11. board — to get on
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. foot — a measure
  14. root — the cause
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. board — a committee
  19. pound — a weight
  20. race — a contest
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. root — of a word
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. root — of a plant

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