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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 120 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: scale · root · track · saw · deal · race · pound · leaves

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. race — humankind
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. pound — a weight
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. deal — to handle
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. root — of a plant
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. track — a song
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. race — a contest
  15. track — to keep track
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — the tool
  19. scale — in music
  20. track — a path
  21. scale — size or range
  22. race — the arms race
  23. root — the cause
  24. deal — an agreement

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