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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 116 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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. race — the arms race
  3. root — of a plant
  4. net — for catching
  5. net — in sport
  6. face — part of the head
  7. drill — the tool
  8. race — a contest
  9. race — humankind
  10. bass — low music
  11. season — in sport
  12. root — the cause
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. face — to confront
  15. net — after costs
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — what's left
  18. root — of a word
  19. drill — a practice
  20. face — to point toward
  21. bass — the fish
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. rest — a break
  24. drill — army training

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