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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bay · root · spell · stock · fan · drill · race · mate

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. drill — a practice
  3. race — a contest
  4. drill — army training
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. root — of a plant
  7. root — of a word
  8. root — the cause
  9. stock — shares
  10. race — humankind
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. spell — a short time
  13. spell — magic
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. race — the arms race
  16. mate — a friend
  17. stock — goods
  18. mate — to breed
  19. spell — letters
  20. mate — a partner
  21. drill — the tool
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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