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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: band · mark · ground · chip · race · root · foot · object

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. chip — to eat
  3. race — a contest
  4. mark — a trace
  5. object — to protest
  6. race — the arms race
  7. root — of a word
  8. root — the cause
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. band — a ring
  11. mark — a grade
  12. race — humankind
  13. ground — the earth
  14. band — a music group
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. object — an aim
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. chip — for betting
  19. object — a thing
  20. root — of a plant
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. ground — a position
  23. ground — crushed
  24. foot — a measure

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