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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  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. race — the arms race
  2. spell — a short time
  3. race — a contest
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. rash — a series
  7. root — of a plant
  8. root — of a word
  9. root — the cause
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. pitch — completely
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. pass — a permit
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. spell — letters
  16. chip — to eat
  17. rash — hasty
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. spell — magic
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. race — humankind
  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