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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: mate · race · suit · branch · fan · root · field · rest

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. mate — to breed
  3. race — a contest
  4. root — of a plant
  5. field — for sport
  6. race — the arms race
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. branch — a division
  9. suit — in cards
  10. suit — to fit
  11. field — farmland
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. rest — what's left
  14. suit — clothes
  15. mate — a partner
  16. root — the cause
  17. root — of a word
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. field — a subject
  20. mate — a friend
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rest — a break
  24. branch — of a bank

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