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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. root — the cause
  3. race — a contest
  4. race — the arms race
  5. root — of a plant
  6. mate — a partner
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. race — humankind
  9. root — of a word
  10. cap — a hat
  11. net — after costs
  12. cap — of ice
  13. net — for catching
  14. pop — to visit
  15. pitch — completely
  16. mate — to breed
  17. cap — a lid
  18. present — there
  19. present — the time now
  20. present — a gift
  21. pop — soda
  22. pop — music
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. net — in sport

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