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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 · fork · mark · trunk · stock · lash · cell · race

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. race — a contest
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. root — of a plant
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. mark — a trace
  10. mark — a grade
  11. stock — shares
  12. cell — in biology
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. race — the arms race
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. fork — in a road
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. stock — goods
  20. root — of a word
  21. cell — a phone
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. root — the cause

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