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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. face — to confront
  4. root — of a plant
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. race — humankind
  7. root — the cause
  8. track — a path
  9. race — a contest
  10. face — to point toward
  11. rash — a series
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. root — of a word
  14. rash — hasty
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. track — a song
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. rule — government
  19. face — part of the head
  20. track — to keep track
  21. race — the arms race
  22. rule — a law
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bay — a horse colour

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