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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. race — a contest
  3. rest — what's left
  4. race — the arms race
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. court — of a king
  7. chip — to eat
  8. root — the cause
  9. season — of the year
  10. season — in sport
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. rest — a break
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. court — for sport
  16. root — of a plant
  17. spell — magic
  18. court — of law
  19. root — of a word
  20. race — humankind
  21. spell — letters
  22. spell — a short time
  23. pound — a weight
  24. chip — for betting

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