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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 124 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: net · snap · charge · race · ruler · pass · mouse · root

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. root — of a plant
  4. charge — a price
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. snap — to click
  7. root — the cause
  8. race — a contest
  9. net — after costs
  10. pass — a permit
  11. root — of a word
  12. charge — in control
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. charge — electricity
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. net — in sport
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. race — the arms race
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. net — for catching
  24. race — humankind

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