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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. prune — to trim
  4. race — the arms race
  5. stock — shares
  6. stock — goods
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. root — the cause
  11. deal — to handle
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. snap — to click
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. root — of a plant
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. race — a contest
  20. prune — to trim
  21. root — of a word
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. dip — to sink
  24. dip — a sauce

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