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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. field — for sport
  3. root — of a word
  4. face — part of the head
  5. ball — a dance
  6. field — farmland
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. face — to point toward
  10. cell — a phone
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. root — of a plant
  16. field — a subject
  17. cell — in biology
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. ball — a great time
  20. face — to confront
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. safe — out of danger

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