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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: bass · root · cell · race · pound · stand · drill · plane

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  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. pound — for dogs
  2. drill — the tool
  3. bass — the fish
  4. drill — army training
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. cell — in biology
  8. root — the cause
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. root — of a plant
  11. race — humankind
  12. bass — low music
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. root — of a word
  15. drill — a practice
  16. pound — a weight
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. cell — a phone
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. race — a contest
  21. stand — to bear
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. plane — a tool
  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