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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. fall — the season
  4. bulb — for light
  5. key — for a lock
  6. cap — of ice
  7. race — a contest
  8. sharp — clever
  9. cap — a lid
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. key — the most important part
  12. fall — to drop
  13. root — of a plant
  14. stock — goods
  15. bulb — for light
  16. root — the cause
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. race — humankind
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. stock — shares
  21. cap — a hat
  22. race — the arms race
  23. fall — to drop
  24. root — of a word

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