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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. bass — low music
  3. track — a path
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. root — of a word
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. field — a subject
  8. foot — a measure
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. track — to keep track
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. root — of a plant
  15. rush — hurry
  16. field — farmland
  17. field — for sport
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bass — the fish
  20. root — the cause
  21. spell — letters
  22. track — a song
  23. spell — magic
  24. foot — part of the body

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