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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. root — the cause
  3. firm — steady
  4. chip — to eat
  5. lean — to bend
  6. race — humankind
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. season — in sport
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. firm — a company
  11. root — of a word
  12. lean — thin
  13. root — of a plant
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. stem — to come from
  16. pitch — completely
  17. season — of the year
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. race — the arms race
  20. firm — decided
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. chip — for betting
  24. race — a contest

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