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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. bear — the animal
  3. track — a song
  4. land — ground
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. root — of a plant
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — to recline
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. press — to push
  11. bear — the animal
  12. land — to come down
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. press — newspapers
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. root — of a word
  18. track — a path
  19. court — for sport
  20. root — the cause
  21. court — of a king
  22. press — a publisher
  23. land — a country
  24. court — of law

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