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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. race — a contest
  3. bear — the animal
  4. root — of a word
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. bear — the animal
  7. fine — all right
  8. pass — a permit
  9. rash — hasty
  10. swing — music
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. fine — high quality
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. rash — a series
  15. swing — in golf
  16. race — the arms race
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. root — of a plant
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. swing — to play on
  21. stem — to come from
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. root — the cause
  24. race — humankind

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