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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 116 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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. root — the cause
  3. band — a music group
  4. root — of a word
  5. band — a ring
  6. object — a thing
  7. root — of a plant
  8. rest — what's left
  9. game — a match
  10. season — of the year
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. race — the arms race
  14. race — humankind
  15. race — a contest
  16. object — to protest
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. season — in sport
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. game — wild animals
  22. rest — what's left
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. object — an aim

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