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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. root — of a word
  3. club — for golf
  4. mark — a trace
  5. swing — music
  6. field — farmland
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. root — the cause
  9. race — humankind
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. swing — to play on
  13. race — the arms race
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. mark — a grade
  16. root — of a plant
  17. swing — in golf
  18. field — for sport
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. club — a group
  22. field — a subject
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. club — for dancing

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