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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 · date · mark · trunk · perch · deal · race · band

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. mark — a trace
  3. race — a contest
  4. mark — a grade
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. date — the fruit
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. root — of a word
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. race — humankind
  11. root — the cause
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. band — a music group
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. race — the arms race
  17. deal — to handle
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. band — a ring
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. perch — the fish

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