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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. spell — a short time
  3. root — of a plant
  4. land — a country
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. ground — a position
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. root — of a word
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. race — humankind
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. spell — magic
  13. race — a contest
  14. race — the arms race
  15. ground — the earth
  16. land — ground
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. spell — letters
  19. land — to come down
  20. stem — to come from
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. ground — crushed
  24. pitch — completely

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