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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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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: root · firm · wake · race · pitch · rash · mate · temple

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. race — a contest
  3. race — humankind
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. root — the cause
  7. mate — to breed
  8. root — of a word
  9. mate — a partner
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. root — of a plant
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. pitch — completely
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. firm — steady
  17. wake — a trail
  18. firm — decided
  19. rash — hasty
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. firm — a company
  22. rash — a series
  23. mate — a friend
  24. race — the arms race

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