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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 reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. track — to keep track
  3. bound — obliged
  4. mark — a grade
  5. mark — a trace
  6. track — a path
  7. race — a contest
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. root — of a word
  12. race — humankind
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. scale — size or range
  15. scale — in music
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. race — the arms race
  18. root — the cause
  19. wax — to grow
  20. root — of a plant
  21. bound — certain
  22. track — a song
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. trunk — of a car

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