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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  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. root — of a plant
  2. track — to keep track
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. mate — a partner
  6. roll — a cake
  7. track — a path
  8. root — of a word
  9. row — a line
  10. present — a gift
  11. court — for sport
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. mate — a friend
  15. present — there
  16. present — the time now
  17. roll — a list
  18. court — of a king
  19. track — a song
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. root — the cause
  22. mate — to breed
  23. row — to paddle
  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