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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: saw · date · mine · bark · rock · race · root · rush

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. saw — the tool
  3. root — of a plant
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. race — humankind
  7. rush — hurry
  8. bark — to shout
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. root — the cause
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. rock — music
  14. race — the arms race
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. mine — for digging
  19. rock — a stone
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. root — of a word
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. date — the fruit
  24. rock — to move gently

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