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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. ball — a dance
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. last — finally
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. last — to go on
  9. chip — for betting
  10. last — final
  11. root — the cause
  12. ball — a great time
  13. race — humankind
  14. root — of a word
  15. snap — to click
  16. foot — a measure
  17. chip — to eat
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. race — a contest
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. root — of a plant

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