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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. current — happening now
  3. root — the cause
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. current — electric
  6. march — music
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. root — of a word
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. kick — in football
  11. root — of a plant
  12. current — of water
  13. rock — a stone
  14. race — a contest
  15. season — of the year
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. season — in sport
  18. march — the month
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. rock — music
  22. race — the arms race
  23. march — the month
  24. race — humankind

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