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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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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 · vault · mine · field · race · dip · hand · rock

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. field — a subject
  5. race — the arms race
  6. root — of a word
  7. race — a contest
  8. hand — help
  9. field — farmland
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. rock — a stone
  12. hand — in cards
  13. race — humankind
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. rock — music
  17. mine — for digging
  18. field — for sport
  19. vault — a safe
  20. root — the cause
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. dip — to sink
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. hand — part of the body

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