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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: bark · root · game · mate · safe · race · mark · stand

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. mate — a partner
  3. game — a match
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. mark — a trace
  6. root — the cause
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. game — wild animals
  9. root — of a word
  10. stand — to bear
  11. bark — to shout
  12. root — of a plant
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. race — the arms race
  15. mark — a grade
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. mate — to breed
  20. race — humankind
  21. race — a contest
  22. mate — a friend
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. stand — for spectators

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