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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. root — the cause
  5. spring — a coil
  6. rock — a stone
  7. spring — the season
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. track — a path
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. spring — of water
  13. root — of a plant
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. track — a song
  16. court — for sport
  17. court — of law
  18. root — of a word
  19. court — of a king
  20. wound — an injury
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. pass — a permit
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. track — to keep track

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