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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: snap · bark · game · root · firm · racket · race · bass

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. root — of a word
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. firm — steady
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. bass — the fish
  10. bark — to shout
  11. race — a contest
  12. firm — a company
  13. game — a match
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. root — the cause
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. snap — to click
  20. root — of a plant
  21. game — wild animals
  22. race — the arms race
  23. firm — decided
  24. bass — low music

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