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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. court — for sport
  3. pass — a permit
  4. root — of a plant
  5. mate — a friend
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. court — of a king
  8. court — of law
  9. mate — a partner
  10. ground — the earth
  11. root — the cause
  12. mate — to breed
  13. root — of a word
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. track — a path
  17. toast — bread
  18. track — a song
  19. ground — crushed
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. ground — a position
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. hide — animal skin

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