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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. deal — to handle
  3. root — the cause
  4. mate — a partner
  5. mate — a friend
  6. face — to confront
  7. track — a path
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. fine — high quality
  10. track — to keep track
  11. bound — certain
  12. bound — obliged
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. face — to point toward
  15. fine — all right
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. mate — to breed
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. root — of a word
  20. track — a song
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. bound — tied together
  23. face — part of the head
  24. root — of a plant

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