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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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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: racket · root · stand · snap · drill · race · mate · object

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. mate — a partner
  4. root — of a plant
  5. race — the arms race
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. mate — to breed
  8. root — of a word
  9. object — an aim
  10. race — humankind
  11. drill — a practice
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. stand — to bear
  16. root — the cause
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. mate — a friend
  19. object — to protest
  20. race — a contest
  21. snap — to click
  22. object — a thing
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. drill — army training

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