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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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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: key · race · staff · root · degree · face · pop · date

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. key — in music
  3. root — of a word
  4. face — to confront
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. pop — soda
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. key — the most important part
  9. pop — music
  10. root — of a plant
  11. race — a contest
  12. root — the cause
  13. staff — employees
  14. degree — from a university
  15. staff — a stick
  16. race — humankind
  17. staff — employees
  18. pop — to visit
  19. face — to point toward
  20. key — for a lock
  21. date — the fruit
  22. face — part of the head
  23. degree — an amount
  24. degree — temperature

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