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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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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: bulb · root · stick · branch · clip · track · mark · race

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. branch — a division
  4. race — humankind
  5. clip — for paper
  6. race — the arms race
  7. race — a contest
  8. root — of a plant
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. root — of a word
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. root — the cause
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — for light
  17. track — a path
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. track — a song
  20. mark — a grade
  21. track — to keep track
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. clip — to cut
  24. mark — a trace

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