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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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Word bank
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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: pit · race · track · scale · bowl · root · staff · bat

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. staff — employees
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. root — of a plant
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. scale — size or range
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. root — the cause
  10. track — to keep track
  11. track — a path
  12. race — humankind
  13. track — a song
  14. root — of a word
  15. race — a contest
  16. pit — a hole
  17. staff — employees
  18. race — the arms race
  19. pit — in a race
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. staff — a stick
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. bat — the animal
  24. scale — in music

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