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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. race — the arms race
  4. scale — in music
  5. pop — soda
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. root — of a plant
  8. root — of a word
  9. race — a contest
  10. fine — all right
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. fine — high quality
  14. bear — the animal
  15. pop — to visit
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. root — the cause
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. pop — music
  20. race — humankind
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. scale — size or range
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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