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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 116 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: court · rush · lie · band · chip · net · root · race

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. chip — for betting
  4. root — the cause
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. band — a music group
  7. court — of law
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. race — a contest
  10. rush — hurry
  11. lie — to recline
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. race — the arms race
  14. band — a ring
  15. court — for sport
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. net — after costs
  18. net — for catching
  19. court — of a king
  20. root — of a plant
  21. race — humankind
  22. net — in sport
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. chip — to eat

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