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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. race — humankind
  3. race — a contest
  4. root — the cause
  5. content — the amount
  6. root — of a word
  7. sharp — clever
  8. season — of the year
  9. season — in sport
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. root — of a plant
  12. plane — a tool
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. stock — shares
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. content — happy
  20. stock — goods
  21. board — a committee
  22. race — the arms race
  23. board — to get on
  24. board — a flat piece

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