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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: root · bore · track · staff · rush · race · field · chip

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. track — to keep track
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. track — a path
  6. chip — to eat
  7. staff — a stick
  8. race — the arms race
  9. field — farmland
  10. root — of a plant
  11. rush — hurry
  12. staff — employees
  13. track — a song
  14. chip — for betting
  15. root — of a word
  16. root — the cause
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. race — a contest
  19. field — a subject
  20. race — humankind
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bore — to tire
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. field — for sport

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