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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: root · march · mine · race · safe · land · wake · bank

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. bank — for money
  3. race — a contest
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. root — of a word
  6. land — to come down
  7. root — of a plant
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. land — a country
  10. land — ground
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. bank — for money
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. wake — a trail
  15. march — the month
  16. race — the arms race
  17. root — the cause
  18. march — music
  19. bank — of a river
  20. march — the month
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. mine — for digging
  23. race — humankind
  24. mine — an explosive

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