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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. scale — in music
  4. root — of a word
  5. fall — to drop
  6. root — of a plant
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. track — a song
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. scale — size or range
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. track — to keep track
  17. field — for sport
  18. fall — the season
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. root — the cause
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. fall — to drop
  23. field — farmland
  24. track — a path

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