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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. pitch — completely
  3. race — humankind
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. rest — what's left
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. object — an aim
  8. race — the arms race
  9. club — for dancing
  10. root — of a word
  11. club — for golf
  12. club — a group
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. mine — for digging
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. object — to protest
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. root — of a plant
  21. rest — a break
  22. object — a thing
  23. race — a contest
  24. root — the cause

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