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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: bore · wind · track · root · bear · stick · court · race

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. track — a song
  3. root — of a plant
  4. court — of a king
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. root — the cause
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. track — to keep track
  9. race — a contest
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. bore — to drill
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. wind — moving air
  18. court — for sport
  19. bore — to tire
  20. track — a path
  21. race — the arms race
  22. court — of law
  23. root — of a word
  24. race — humankind

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