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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: spring · clip · fan · racket · field · root · race · stick

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. spring — of water
  3. race — humankind
  4. clip — to cut
  5. race — the arms race
  6. root — of a plant
  7. root — of a word
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. spring — a coil
  10. clip — a video
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. field — for sport
  13. race — a contest
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. field — a subject
  19. clip — for paper
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. spring — the season
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. field — farmland

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