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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. race — humankind
  3. root — of a plant
  4. race — a contest
  5. spring — of water
  6. current — electric
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. current — happening now
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. branch — a division
  12. pop — to visit
  13. root — of a word
  14. current — of water
  15. race — the arms race
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. root — the cause
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. spring — the season
  22. spring — a coil
  23. toast — bread
  24. pop — music

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