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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. root — of a plant
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. race — humankind
  6. race — a contest
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bore — to drill
  10. race — the arms race
  11. land — to come down
  12. prune — to trim
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. bore — to tire
  15. land — a country
  16. prune — to trim
  17. land — ground
  18. lean — to bend
  19. pitch — completely
  20. lean — thin
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. root — the cause
  24. pitch — a sports field

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