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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: staff · race · track · current · root · scale · stock · bulb

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. race — a contest
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. race — the arms race
  5. track — a path
  6. scale — in music
  7. stock — shares
  8. staff — a stick
  9. track — to keep track
  10. root — the cause
  11. scale — size or range
  12. current — happening now
  13. root — of a word
  14. race — humankind
  15. current — electric
  16. root — of a plant
  17. staff — employees
  18. stock — goods
  19. current — of water
  20. bulb — for light
  21. staff — employees
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. track — a song

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