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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.

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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 · nail · march · pound · fine · trunk · race · chip

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. root — of a word
  4. chip — for betting
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. fine — all right
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. fine — high quality
  11. root — of a plant
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. race — the arms race
  14. march — the month
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. race — humankind
  18. chip — to eat
  19. pound — a weight
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. march — music
  23. race — a contest
  24. march — the month

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