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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. race — humankind
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. root — of a plant
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. scale — in music
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. fork — in a road
  11. row — to paddle
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. race — a contest
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. root — of a word
  18. root — the cause
  19. can — to be able to
  20. scale — size or range
  21. can — a tin
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. row — a line
  24. can — a tin

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