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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 · jam · tear · root · bulb · trunk · mark · foot

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. root — of a plant
  5. mark — a trace
  6. bulb — for light
  7. tear — to rip
  8. race — humankind
  9. tear — from crying
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. mark — a grade
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. root — of a word
  17. bulb — for light
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. root — the cause
  20. race — a contest
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. race — the arms race
  23. foot — a measure
  24. mark — to pay attention

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