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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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. rock — music
  3. charge — in control
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. root — of a plant
  7. mark — a trace
  8. wake — a trail
  9. race — a contest
  10. race — humankind
  11. bulb — for light
  12. root — the cause
  13. bulb — for light
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. mark — a grade
  16. scale — size or range
  17. charge — a price
  18. charge — electricity
  19. rock — a stone
  20. race — the arms race
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. scale — in music
  24. scale — for weighing

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