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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: firm · press · race · trunk · field · fine · root · drill

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. field — a subject
  3. field — for sport
  4. root — the cause
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. race — a contest
  7. fine — high quality
  8. drill — the tool
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. press — a publisher
  11. field — farmland
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. firm — a company
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. root — of a word
  16. fine — all right
  17. drill — a practice
  18. press — to push
  19. drill — army training
  20. firm — steady
  21. firm — decided
  22. root — of a plant
  23. race — humankind
  24. press — newspapers

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