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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 120 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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. season — in sport
  3. race — humankind
  4. root — of a word
  5. court — for sport
  6. court — of law
  7. root — the cause
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. season — of the year
  12. prune — to trim
  13. root — of a plant
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. prune — to trim
  16. suit — clothes
  17. race — a contest
  18. court — of a king
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. suit — in cards
  23. lie — to recline
  24. suit — to fit

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