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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 120 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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. band — a music group
  3. track — to keep track
  4. mark — a grade
  5. track — a song
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. stock — shares
  8. root — the cause
  9. root — of a plant
  10. pop — music
  11. lean — thin
  12. pop — soda
  13. field — a subject
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. mark — a trace
  16. band — a ring
  17. field — farmland
  18. lean — to bend
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. pop — to visit
  21. field — for sport
  22. stock — goods
  23. track — a path
  24. stock — a soup base

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