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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. mate — a friend
  4. cue — a hint
  5. root — the cause
  6. mate — to breed
  7. mate — a partner
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. cell — a phone
  10. root — of a plant
  11. race — the arms race
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. race — humankind
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. root — of a word
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. race — a contest
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. cell — in biology
  21. foot — a measure
  22. chair — a leader
  23. cue — for pool
  24. cue — a signal

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