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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 120 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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. field — for sport
  3. root — of a plant
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. root — the cause
  7. swing — to play on
  8. rock — music
  9. race — a contest
  10. rock — a stone
  11. bound — certain
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. field — farmland
  14. swing — in golf
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. pass — a permit
  17. bound — obliged
  18. race — the arms race
  19. field — a subject
  20. swing — music
  21. root — of a word
  22. bound — tied together
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. arm — part of the body

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