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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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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: race · kid · bank · root · land · current · fall · prune

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. prune — to trim
  3. race — humankind
  4. bank — for money
  5. bank — for money
  6. bank — of a river
  7. land — to come down
  8. current — happening now
  9. root — of a word
  10. race — a contest
  11. prune — to trim
  12. fall — to drop
  13. fall — to drop
  14. race — the arms race
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. current — of water
  17. land — a country
  18. kid — child
  19. current — electric
  20. root — of a plant
  21. land — ground
  22. kid — to tease
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. fall — the season

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