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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 116 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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. field — farmland
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. charge — a price
  8. root — of a word
  9. charge — electricity
  10. root — of a plant
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. track — to keep track
  13. wax — to grow
  14. charge — in control
  15. field — for sport
  16. track — a path
  17. track — a song
  18. field — a subject
  19. mark — a grade
  20. mark — a trace
  21. root — the cause
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. coach — a trainer

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