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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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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: bat · drill · race · root · mine · bank · season · rock

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. rock — a stone
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. root — of a plant
  8. root — the cause
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. bank — of a river
  11. bat — the animal
  12. bank — for money
  13. season — of the year
  14. drill — a practice
  15. rock — music
  16. mine — for digging
  17. season — in sport
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. race — a contest
  20. root — of a word
  21. drill — the tool
  22. bank — for money
  23. drill — army training
  24. race — humankind

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