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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. last — finally
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. root — of a plant
  5. track — to keep track
  6. root — of a word
  7. bear — the animal
  8. toast — bread
  9. season — in sport
  10. root — the cause
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. rock — music
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. rock — a stone
  15. mark — a grade
  16. track — a song
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. bear — the animal
  20. last — final
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. mark — a trace
  23. last — to go on
  24. track — a path

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