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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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. ground — the earth
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. race — the arms race
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. pound — a weight
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. wound — an injury
  16. ground — crushed
  17. ground — a position
  18. root — of a word
  19. race — a contest
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. root — the cause
  23. wound — an injury
  24. root — of a plant

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