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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 120 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: race · trunk · rest · root · face · bass · pitch · arm

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. bass — low music
  3. bass — the fish
  4. pitch — completely
  5. rest — what's left
  6. root — of a plant
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. rest — a break
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. face — to point toward
  12. root — the cause
  13. face — part of the head
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. rest — what's left
  21. root — of a word
  22. race — a contest
  23. race — humankind
  24. face — to confront

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