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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. root — of a plant
  3. club — a group
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. wound — an injury
  10. root — of a word
  11. club — for golf
  12. race — the arms race
  13. race — humankind
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. tube — the underground
  16. club — for dancing
  17. tube — a container
  18. rush — hurry
  19. root — the cause
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. season — of the year
  23. race — a contest
  24. season — in sport

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