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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. key — the most important part
  3. key — in music
  4. chip — for betting
  5. drill — army training
  6. race — the arms race
  7. current — happening now
  8. drill — a practice
  9. current — of water
  10. current — electric
  11. root — of a word
  12. race — humankind
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. object — an aim
  15. drill — the tool
  16. prune — to trim
  17. chip — to eat
  18. race — a contest
  19. object — to protest
  20. object — a thing
  21. key — for a lock
  22. prune — to trim
  23. root — of a plant
  24. root — the cause

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