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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. race — the arms race
  3. root — of a word
  4. firm — decided
  5. firm — steady
  6. bat — the animal
  7. firm — a company
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. bear — the animal
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. bear — the animal
  12. race — humankind
  13. race — a contest
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. ground — a position
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. root — of a plant
  18. ground — crushed
  19. ground — the earth
  20. current — electric
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. current — of water
  23. current — happening now
  24. bear — to put up with

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