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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: race · ruler · root · club · date · field · scale · wave

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. race — humankind
  4. root — the cause
  5. race — the arms race
  6. club — a group
  7. scale — in music
  8. club — for golf
  9. race — a contest
  10. field — for sport
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. root — of a word
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. root — of a plant
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. field — farmland
  18. club — for dancing
  19. date — the fruit
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. scale — size or range
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. field — a subject

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