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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. race — a contest
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. toast — bread
  6. root — the cause
  7. root — of a plant
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. race — the arms race
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. rest — what's left
  12. race — humankind
  13. swing — to play on
  14. prune — to trim
  15. scale — in music
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. root — of a word
  18. rest — what's left
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. swing — music
  22. scale — size or range
  23. prune — to trim
  24. rest — a break

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