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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: field · key · root · rock · kid · row · track · race

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  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. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. root — of a plant
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. key — the most important part
  5. track — a song
  6. key — for a lock
  7. race — the arms race
  8. race — humankind
  9. row — to paddle
  10. race — a contest
  11. track — to keep track
  12. root — of a word
  13. kid — to tease
  14. field — a subject
  15. rock — music
  16. key — in music
  17. rock — a stone
  18. field — for sport
  19. track — a path
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. row — a line
  22. kid — child
  23. field — farmland
  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