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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 120 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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. mate — a friend
  3. race — humankind
  4. mug — a face
  5. mug — to rob
  6. cell — in biology
  7. chip — for betting
  8. saw — the tool
  9. field — a subject
  10. race — the arms race
  11. mug — a cup
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. chip — to eat
  15. cell — a phone
  16. root — of a word
  17. root — the cause
  18. race — a contest
  19. mate — a partner
  20. field — for sport
  21. mate — to breed
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. field — farmland

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