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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. race — a contest
  3. root — of a plant
  4. net — in sport
  5. race — humankind
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. chest — of your body
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. chip — for betting
  11. rule — a law
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. net — after costs
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. chip — to eat
  16. chest — a box
  17. root — the cause
  18. race — the arms race
  19. rule — government
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. net — for catching
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. chest — of your 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