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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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. root — the cause
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. perch — the fish
  7. snap — to click
  8. root — of a word
  9. stand — to bear
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. track — a song
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. bat — the animal
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. court — of a king
  18. court — of law
  19. root — of a plant
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. court — for sport
  24. track — to keep track

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