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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: tube · bulb · bank · root · net · wake · race · prune

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. net — for catching
  3. tube — a container
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. tube — the underground
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. root — of a plant
  8. prune — to trim
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bank — for money
  12. root — the cause
  13. bank — of a river
  14. race — the arms race
  15. prune — to trim
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bank — for money
  19. root — of a word
  20. net — after costs
  21. wake — a trail
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. net — in sport
  24. race — humankind

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