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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: tube · root · pop · race · mate · safe · track · pound

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. mate — to breed
  3. track — to keep track
  4. race — humankind
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. tube — the underground
  7. pop — soda
  8. mate — a friend
  9. pound — a weight
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. tube — a container
  12. race — a contest
  13. root — of a plant
  14. pop — to visit
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. pop — music
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. root — the cause
  19. mate — a partner
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. track — a path
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. root — of a word
  24. track — a song

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