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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: track · pit · hand · root · race · mouse · branch · wound

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. wound — an injury
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. track — to keep track
  6. root — of a word
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. root — the cause
  10. race — humankind
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. hand — help
  13. pit — in a race
  14. race — a contest
  15. race — the arms race
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. track — a path
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. wound — an injury
  20. hand — in cards
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. pit — a hole
  23. branch — a division
  24. track — a song

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