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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mouse · ground · chip · wind · race · cabinet · root · wax

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. race — a contest
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. race — humankind
  7. root — the cause
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. chip — for betting
  11. ground — the earth
  12. root — of a word
  13. race — the arms race
  14. wax — to grow
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. chip — to eat
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wind — moving air
  21. ground — a position
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. ground — crushed

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