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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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Word bank
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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: rule · pitcher · nail · race · present · root · bowl · plane

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. rule — government
  3. race — a contest
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. root — of a plant
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. plane — a tool
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. root — the cause
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. rule — a law
  13. present — a gift
  14. root — of a word
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. race — humankind
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. present — the time now
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. race — the arms race

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