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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. mark — a grade
  3. season — of the year
  4. land — a country
  5. root — the cause
  6. root — of a word
  7. field — farmland
  8. vault — a safe
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. field — for sport
  11. land — to come down
  12. land — ground
  13. present — the time now
  14. fall — the season
  15. season — in sport
  16. field — a subject
  17. fall — to drop
  18. present — a gift
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. fall — to drop
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. present — there
  24. mark — a trace

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