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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: dip · rush · race · file · rule · scale · patient · root

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. root — of a word
  5. root — of a plant
  6. dip — to sink
  7. race — a contest
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. file — a line of people
  12. rule — a law
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. file — a tool
  15. scale — in music
  16. file — a document
  17. root — the cause
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. scale — size or range
  20. rush — hurry
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. race — the arms race
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. race — humankind

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