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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: board · content · racket · root · current · race · calf · track

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. race — humankind
  3. board — to get on
  4. board — a committee
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. current — happening now
  7. root — of a plant
  8. track — a path
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. race — the arms race
  12. current — electric
  13. track — to keep track
  14. track — a song
  15. root — of a word
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. current — of water
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. content — happy
  20. content — the amount
  21. race — a contest
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. root — the cause

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