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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. race — a contest
  3. bass — the fish
  4. fork — in a road
  5. kid — to tease
  6. bass — low music
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. kid — child
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — what's left
  13. root — of a plant
  14. rest — a break
  15. root — of a word
  16. race — the arms race
  17. roll — a cake
  18. dip — to sink
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. root — the cause
  22. race — humankind
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. roll — a list

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