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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 a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. race — humankind
  4. root — of a word
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. swing — to play on
  7. pound — a weight
  8. race — the arms race
  9. race — a contest
  10. root — the cause
  11. swing — music
  12. kid — to tease
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. rock — music
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. kid — child
  18. rush — hurry
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. date — the fruit
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. rock — a stone
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. swing — in golf

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