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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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. suit — clothes
  3. root — the cause
  4. track — to keep track
  5. track — a song
  6. field — a subject
  7. field — farmland
  8. game — wild animals
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. pass — a permit
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. field — for sport
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. suit — in cards
  17. root — of a plant
  18. game — a match
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. track — a path
  22. suit — to fit
  23. root — of a word
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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