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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  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. race — humankind
  2. root — the cause
  3. swing — music
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. root — of a word
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. dip — to sink
  9. craft — a skill
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. craft — boats
  14. swing — in golf
  15. root — of a plant
  16. race — the arms race
  17. swing — to play on
  18. game — a match
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. chair — a leader
  21. game — wild animals
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. chair — to sit on
  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