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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. root — of a word
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. land — to come down
  6. saw — the tool
  7. race — a contest
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. land — a country
  10. root — of a plant
  11. cell — a phone
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. cell — in biology
  14. stand — to bear
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. pit — a hole
  17. race — humankind
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. race — the arms race
  20. root — the cause
  21. saw — the tool
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. land — ground

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