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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. hand — help
  4. track — a song
  5. dip — to sink
  6. hand — in cards
  7. track — to keep track
  8. date — the fruit
  9. board — to get on
  10. fall — the season
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. root — of a plant
  14. fall — to drop
  15. mark — a trace
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. root — of a word
  18. mark — a grade
  19. track — a path
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. board — a committee
  24. fall — to drop

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