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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 120 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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. game — a match
  3. tube — the underground
  4. tube — a container
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. race — a contest
  8. mate — a partner
  9. game — wild animals
  10. root — of a plant
  11. field — a subject
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. foot — a measure
  14. race — the arms race
  15. mate — a friend
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. mate — to breed
  19. snap — to click
  20. root — of a word
  21. field — farmland
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. field — for sport
  24. race — humankind

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