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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 116 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: root · fork · kid · race · scale · stick · pass · court

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. scale — in music
  3. race — the arms race
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. race — a contest
  6. kid — to tease
  7. kid — child
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. court — for sport
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. pass — a permit
  14. root — of a word
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. root — the cause
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. fork — in a road
  20. root — of a plant
  21. scale — size or range
  22. court — of law
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. court — of a king

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