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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: root · pit · press · chip · game · shower · jam · race

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. pit — in a race
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. root — of a plant
  5. game — a match
  6. press — to push
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. race — a contest
  9. chip — to eat
  10. shower — to wash
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. root — of a word
  13. root — the cause
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. press — newspapers
  16. press — a publisher
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. pit — a hole
  19. chip — for betting
  20. race — humankind
  21. game — wild animals
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. shower — rain
  24. chip — in a computer

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