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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. root — of a word
  5. band — a music group
  6. roll — a cake
  7. mark — a trace
  8. root — the cause
  9. root — of a plant
  10. field — a subject
  11. mark — a grade
  12. pit — a hole
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. pit — in a race
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. band — a ring
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. field — farmland
  22. sharp — clever
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. field — for sport

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