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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. race — the arms race
  4. root — of a word
  5. pitch — completely
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. root — the cause
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. root — of a plant
  12. content — happy
  13. march — the month
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. race — humankind
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. snap — to click
  21. content — the amount
  22. race — a contest
  23. march — music
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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