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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: content · rush · chip · saw · bass · field · root · race

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. root — of a word
  4. field — for sport
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bass — low music
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. content — the amount
  10. content — happy
  11. root — the cause
  12. chip — to eat
  13. bass — the fish
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. race — humankind
  16. root — of a plant
  17. race — the arms race
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. field — a subject
  20. race — a contest
  21. chip — for betting
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. saw — the tool
  24. rush — hurry

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