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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. fork — in a road
  3. lie — to recline
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. root — of a word
  6. root — of a plant
  7. field — a subject
  8. wind — moving air
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. pit — in a race
  12. current — electric
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. wind — moving air
  15. field — farmland
  16. pit — a hole
  17. current — happening now
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. root — the cause
  21. race — the arms race
  22. current — of water
  23. field — for sport
  24. race — humankind

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