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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 120 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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. staff — employees
  3. field — farmland
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. suit — in cards
  6. field — for sport
  7. track — a song
  8. staff — a stick
  9. land — to come down
  10. root — of a word
  11. field — a subject
  12. root — the cause
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. suit — to fit
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. track — a path
  17. root — of a plant
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. track — to keep track
  20. suit — clothes
  21. land — a country
  22. staff — employees
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. land — ground

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