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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: wake · bank · season · mate · race · root · march · key

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. mate — to breed
  4. root — of a plant
  5. race — a contest
  6. bank — of a river
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. key — in music
  9. race — the arms race
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. march — the month
  12. season — in sport
  13. mate — a friend
  14. wake — a trail
  15. key — the most important part
  16. march — music
  17. root — of a word
  18. bank — for money
  19. season — of the year
  20. root — the cause
  21. march — the month
  22. mate — a partner
  23. bank — for money
  24. key — for a lock

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