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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. root — of a plant
  4. march — the month
  5. root — of a word
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. land — ground
  8. land — a country
  9. mark — a grade
  10. march — the month
  11. field — a subject
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. field — for sport
  15. march — music
  16. root — the cause
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. net — in sport
  20. net — after costs
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. field — farmland
  23. mark — a trace
  24. net — for catching

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