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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. root — of a word
  4. root — of a plant
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. season — in sport
  7. bank — of a river
  8. race — a contest
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. bank — for money
  11. bank — for money
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. season — of the year
  16. race — humankind
  17. root — the cause
  18. pop — music
  19. sharp — clever
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. pop — soda
  22. pop — to visit
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. mouse — the animal

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