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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 120 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: foot · root · bowl · fall · mark · race · track · current

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. current — of water
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. foot — a measure
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. track — to keep track
  8. mark — a trace
  9. race — a contest
  10. fall — to drop
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. track — a song
  14. current — electric
  15. race — humankind
  16. mark — a grade
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. root — of a plant
  19. root — of a word
  20. race — the arms race
  21. current — happening now
  22. root — the cause
  23. fall — the season
  24. track — a path

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