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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 116 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'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. scale — in music
  3. race — humankind
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. root — the cause
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. race — the arms race
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. land — a country
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. scale — size or range
  12. land — to come down
  13. root — of a plant
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fall — the season
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. race — a contest
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. root — of a word

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