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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 stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. root — of a word
  3. last — to go on
  4. spell — a short time
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. root — of a plant
  8. last — final
  9. field — a subject
  10. root — the cause
  11. field — farmland
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. bass — low music
  14. cap — a lid
  15. cap — of ice
  16. last — finally
  17. bass — the fish
  18. mug — a face
  19. mug — to rob
  20. cap — a hat
  21. spell — magic
  22. spell — letters
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. mug — a cup

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