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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. root — the cause
  3. mug — to rob
  4. root — of a word
  5. pit — a hole
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. row — a line
  9. mug — a face
  10. root — of a plant
  11. tube — a container
  12. race — humankind
  13. mug — a cup
  14. race — the arms race
  15. row — to paddle
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. capital — a city
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. tube — the underground
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. capital — money
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. pit — in a race

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