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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: root · plane · dip · shower · race · field · racket · squash

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. race — humankind
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. root — of a word
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. plane — a tool
  8. root — of a plant
  9. shower — rain
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. field — farmland
  12. dip — to sink
  13. race — the arms race
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. root — the cause
  16. field — a subject
  17. shower — to wash
  18. squash — to crush
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. squash — the sport
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. race — a contest
  24. field — for sport

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