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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. track — to keep track
  3. race — a contest
  4. root — the cause
  5. rock — a stone
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. track — a song
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. stem — to come from
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. race — humankind
  14. shower — rain
  15. root — of a word
  16. rock — music
  17. bulb — for light
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. bulb — for light
  20. squash — to crush
  21. root — of a plant
  22. track — a path
  23. shower — to wash
  24. race — the arms race

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