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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 116 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 hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. root — the cause
  3. cue — for pool
  4. root — of a plant
  5. field — farmland
  6. field — for sport
  7. cue — a signal
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. cue — a hint
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. staff — employees
  12. root — of a word
  13. plane — a tool
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. perch — the fish
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. track — to keep track
  18. track — a song
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. staff — a stick
  21. capital — money
  22. capital — a city
  23. track — a path
  24. field — a subject

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