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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. land — to come down
  3. race — humankind
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. bore — to tire
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. root — the cause
  9. perch — the fish
  10. race — the arms race
  11. land — a country
  12. suit — in cards
  13. root — of a word
  14. land — ground
  15. root — of a plant
  16. bore — to drill
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. suit — to fit
  20. press — a publisher
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. press — to push
  23. suit — clothes
  24. press — newspapers

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