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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 ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. race — humankind
  4. track — a song
  5. object — to protest
  6. mark — a grade
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. pit — in a race
  9. pit — a hole
  10. root — the cause
  11. race — a contest
  12. season — in sport
  13. object — a thing
  14. spring — of water
  15. root — of a plant
  16. mark — a trace
  17. spring — the season
  18. season — of the year
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. track — a path
  21. track — to keep track
  22. root — of a word
  23. spring — a coil
  24. object — an aim

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