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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: straw · root · key · chip · dip · rash · bay · race

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. race — humankind
  3. root — of a word
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. rash — hasty
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. chip — for betting
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. root — of a plant
  12. rash — a series
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. key — for a lock
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. root — the cause
  18. dip — to sink
  19. race — the arms race
  20. chip — to eat
  21. key — in music
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. key — the most important part

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