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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. track — to keep track
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. scale — in music
  5. stem — to come from
  6. track — a song
  7. root — of a word
  8. cue — a hint
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. cue — a signal
  11. track — a path
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. mark — a grade
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. root — the cause
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. cue — for pool
  19. rock — a stone
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. scale — size or range
  22. root — of a plant
  23. mark — a trace
  24. arm — part of the body

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