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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: cell · fork · rule · race · bass · pit · stand · root

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bass — the fish
  4. root — of a word
  5. race — humankind
  6. pit — a hole
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. cell — in biology
  9. race — the arms race
  10. root — the cause
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. rule — a law
  15. race — a contest
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. fork — in a road
  18. bass — low music
  19. pit — in a race
  20. rule — government
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. stand — to bear
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. root — of a plant

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