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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: file · pit · race · coach · wind · root

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. root — the cause
  3. file — a tool
  4. race — a contest
  5. root — of a plant
  6. pit — a hole
  7. race — the arms race
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. wind — moving air
  11. root — of a word
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. pit — in a race
  14. file — a line of people
  15. race — humankind
  16. file — a document
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. wind — moving air

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