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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. track — a song
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. field — farmland
  5. club — a group
  6. bear — the animal
  7. root — of a word
  8. club — for golf
  9. mate — a friend
  10. bear — the animal
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. track — a path
  13. field — for sport
  14. pass — a permit
  15. mate — a partner
  16. root — the cause
  17. field — a subject
  18. track — to keep track
  19. mate — to breed
  20. club — for dancing
  21. root — of a plant
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. foot — the bottom

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