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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. stem — to come from
  4. foot — a measure
  5. race — humankind
  6. root — the cause
  7. race — a contest
  8. shower — to wash
  9. mate — to breed
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. mate — a partner
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. race — the arms race
  15. mate — a friend
  16. ball — a great time
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. root — of a plant
  19. root — of a word
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. pit — in a race
  22. ball — a dance
  23. pit — a hole
  24. shower — rain

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