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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mug · race · hide · bat · root · cabinet · scale · ground

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. scale — size or range
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. root — of a word
  5. race — humankind
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. bat — the animal
  9. root — the cause
  10. ground — a position
  11. root — of a plant
  12. ground — crushed
  13. race — the arms race
  14. mug — a face
  15. scale — in music
  16. mug — a cup
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. race — a contest
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. mug — to rob
  23. ground — the earth
  24. hide — to keep secret

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