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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. object — to protest
  3. game — wild animals
  4. object — an aim
  5. bound — obliged
  6. root — of a word
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. track — a song
  9. object — a thing
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — a break
  12. bound — tied together
  13. race — a contest
  14. root — the cause
  15. bound — certain
  16. root — of a plant
  17. race — the arms race
  18. track — a path
  19. track — to keep track
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. rest — what's left
  24. game — a match

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