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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. present — a gift
  4. present — there
  5. pit — a hole
  6. march — the month
  7. root — of a plant
  8. tear — from crying
  9. race — humankind
  10. squash — to crush
  11. tear — from crying
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. race — a contest
  14. tear — to rip
  15. race — the arms race
  16. squash — the sport
  17. root — of a word
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. march — music
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. march — the month
  23. pit — in a race
  24. present — the time now

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