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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. drill — a practice
  3. root — of a word
  4. rock — a stone
  5. staff — a stick
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. rock — music
  8. wax — to grow
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. drill — the tool
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. field — for sport
  13. drill — army training
  14. root — the cause
  15. wake — a trail
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. track — a path
  18. track — a song
  19. field — farmland
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. staff — employees
  22. staff — employees
  23. root — of a plant
  24. field — a subject

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