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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: roll · chip · track · toast · root · race · plane · pitcher

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. chip — to eat
  4. track — a song
  5. race — humankind
  6. track — a path
  7. race — a contest
  8. track — to keep track
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. toast — bread
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. root — the cause
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. race — the arms race
  17. chip — for betting
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. plane — a tool
  20. root — of a word
  21. root — of a plant
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. roll — a cake

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