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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. race — a contest
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. root — of a plant
  6. pitch — completely
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. staff — a stick
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. root — the cause
  15. bear — the animal
  16. race — the arms race
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bear — the animal
  21. root — of a word
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — employees
  24. race — humankind

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