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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. hand — in cards
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. root — of a plant
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. suit — to fit
  8. pit — in a race
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. mine — for digging
  11. root — of a word
  12. race — the arms race
  13. net — for catching
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. hand — help
  16. suit — clothes
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. net — in sport
  19. net — after costs
  20. root — the cause
  21. race — humankind
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. race — a contest
  24. pit — a hole

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