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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 124 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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  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. bowl — a dish
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. stock — goods
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. charge — electricity
  8. race — a contest
  9. charge — a price
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. row — a line
  12. root — the cause
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. race — humankind
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. stock — shares
  19. charge — in control
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. root — of a word
  22. row — to paddle
  23. patient — a sick person
  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