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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: game · race · chip · cap · leaves · bound · key · root

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. race — humankind
  3. race — a contest
  4. root — of a plant
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. bound — certain
  7. cap — a hat
  8. key — the most important part
  9. key — in music
  10. chip — for betting
  11. key — for a lock
  12. bound — obliged
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. cap — of ice
  16. chip — to eat
  17. game — wild animals
  18. game — a match
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. race — the arms race
  21. root — the cause
  22. root — of a word
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. bound — tied together

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