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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. land — a country
  3. root — of a plant
  4. track — a path
  5. track — to keep track
  6. race — the arms race
  7. land — to come down
  8. race — a contest
  9. field — for sport
  10. field — farmland
  11. stand — to bear
  12. suit — in cards
  13. suit — clothes
  14. land — ground
  15. root — the cause
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. field — a subject
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. race — humankind
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. suit — to fit
  24. root — of a word

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