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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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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: toast · chip · root · racket · rest · race

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. root — of a word
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. chip — for betting
  5. rest — what's left
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. race — humankind
  11. race — a contest
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. root — of a plant
  14. toast — bread
  15. chip — to eat
  16. rest — what's left
  17. race — the arms race
  18. rest — a break

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