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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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. land — to come down
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. root — of a plant
  5. prune — to trim
  6. root — of a word
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. prune — to trim
  10. race — humankind
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. root — the cause
  13. race — the arms race
  14. race — a contest
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. pass — a permit
  17. land — ground
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. game — a match
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. land — a country
  23. pitch — completely
  24. lash — an eyelash

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