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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: stick · branch · bank · race · root · rash · plane · pitch

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. root — of a plant
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. pitch — completely
  5. bank — for money
  6. race — the arms race
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. root — the cause
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. branch — a division
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. rash — hasty
  13. race — a contest
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. bank — for money
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. rash — a series
  20. bank — of a river
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. root — of a word
  23. plane — a tool
  24. branch — of a bank

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