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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. season — of the year
  6. root — of a plant
  7. race — a contest
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. cap — of ice
  10. root — of a word
  11. fine — all right
  12. current — happening now
  13. current — electric
  14. race — humankind
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. root — the cause
  17. cap — a hat
  18. cap — a lid
  19. fine — high quality
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. race — the arms race
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. current — of water
  24. season — in sport

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