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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. race — humankind
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. root — the cause
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. pass — a permit
  7. sharp — clever
  8. key — the most important part
  9. content — the amount
  10. content — happy
  11. root — of a word
  12. root — of a plant
  13. rush — hurry
  14. club — a group
  15. key — for a lock
  16. race — the arms race
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. race — a contest
  19. key — in music
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. club — for dancing

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