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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. root — of a plant
  4. track — a path
  5. net — after costs
  6. drill — the tool
  7. chair — a leader
  8. root — the cause
  9. drill — a practice
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. net — for catching
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. spell — letters
  14. spell — magic
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. spell — a short time
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. root — of a word
  19. drill — army training
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. net — in sport
  23. track — to keep track
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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