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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 116 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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. root — the cause
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. rash — hasty
  8. pop — music
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. race — the arms race
  11. root — of a word
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. chip — to eat
  14. dip — to sink
  15. pop — to visit
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. race — a contest
  19. chip — for betting
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. race — humankind
  22. bat — the animal
  23. root — of a plant
  24. pop — soda

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