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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: fall · key · mate · ground · cell · root · race · firm

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. cell — in biology
  3. mate — to breed
  4. ground — the earth
  5. race — the arms race
  6. firm — steady
  7. cell — a phone
  8. race — a contest
  9. root — of a plant
  10. mate — a friend
  11. ground — a position
  12. firm — decided
  13. fall — to drop
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. mate — a partner
  16. firm — a company
  17. key — for a lock
  18. fall — to drop
  19. root — of a word
  20. fall — the season
  21. key — the most important part
  22. ground — crushed
  23. root — the cause
  24. key — in music

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