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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  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. object — an aim
  2. march — the month
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. wake — a trail
  5. rash — hasty
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. content — the amount
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. root — of a plant
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. object — a thing
  12. rash — a series
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. march — the month
  15. track — to keep track
  16. track — a song
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. march — music
  19. root — the cause
  20. content — happy
  21. root — of a word
  22. object — to protest
  23. stem — to come from
  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