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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. track — to keep track
  3. net — after costs
  4. rash — hasty
  5. root — of a plant
  6. rash — a series
  7. key — the most important part
  8. net — for catching
  9. key — for a lock
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. cap — of ice
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. cap — a lid
  14. track — a path
  15. mark — a grade
  16. track — a song
  17. mark — a trace
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. root — the cause
  22. net — in sport
  23. root — of a word
  24. key — in music

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