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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. chip — for betting
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. root — the cause
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. mate — a partner
  11. root — of a word
  12. ball — a dance
  13. ball — a great time
  14. mate — a friend
  15. spring — of water
  16. spring — the season
  17. root — of a plant
  18. race — the arms race
  19. mine — for digging
  20. spring — a coil
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. race — a contest
  23. mate — to breed
  24. chip — to eat

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