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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. race — the arms race
  3. bark — to shout
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. pitch — completely
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. race — a contest
  10. squash — to crush
  11. root — of a plant
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. root — the cause
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. squash — the sport
  18. field — for sport
  19. field — a subject
  20. stock — goods
  21. field — farmland
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. root — of a word
  24. stock — shares

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