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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. root — of a plant
  3. race — a contest
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. race — humankind
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. pound — a weight
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. stand — to bear
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. race — the arms race
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. rock — music
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. rock — a stone
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. root — of a word
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. root — the cause

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