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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: nail · safe · current · ground · field · root · fan · race

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. field — for sport
  3. root — of a plant
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. current — of water
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. field — a subject
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. race — humankind
  12. current — electric
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. field — farmland
  15. ground — crushed
  16. race — the arms race
  17. current — happening now
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. root — the cause
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. ground — the earth
  23. root — of a word
  24. ground — a position

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