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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. race — humankind
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. object — a thing
  8. sharp — clever
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. bass — low music
  12. scale — in music
  13. object — an aim
  14. race — the arms race
  15. root — the cause
  16. object — to protest
  17. scale — size or range
  18. bass — the fish
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. snap — to click
  23. root — of a plant
  24. race — a contest

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