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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. season — in sport
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. race — the arms race
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. season — of the year
  7. race — a contest
  8. squash — to crush
  9. root — of a plant
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. chip — for betting
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. squash — the sport
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. chip — to eat
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. root — the cause
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. root — of a word
  24. stem — to come from

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