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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 116 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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. root — of a plant
  3. root — of a word
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. drill — a practice
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. chip — to eat
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. march — the month
  10. race — a contest
  11. march — the month
  12. march — music
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. tube — a container
  15. drill — the tool
  16. tube — the underground
  17. root — the cause
  18. race — the arms race
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. chip — for betting
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. drill — army training
  23. race — humankind
  24. racket — a loud noise

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