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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. track — a song
  4. root — the cause
  5. mark — a grade
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. race — the arms race
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. race — a contest
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. mine — for digging
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. track — to keep track
  17. mark — a trace
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. stand — to bear
  20. race — humankind
  21. track — a path
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. root — of a plant
  24. root — of a word

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