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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. drill — the tool
  3. rash — hasty
  4. staff — employees
  5. stock — goods
  6. race — humankind
  7. root — the cause
  8. rash — a series
  9. season — in sport
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. staff — employees
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. staff — a stick
  14. season — of the year
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. race — the arms race
  17. stock — shares
  18. drill — a practice
  19. root — of a word
  20. race — a contest
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. root — of a plant
  24. fan — to cool the air

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