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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. cap — of ice
  3. march — music
  4. rock — a stone
  5. rock — music
  6. cap — a lid
  7. field — for sport
  8. march — the month
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. track — to keep track
  11. root — the cause
  12. root — of a word
  13. field — a subject
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. bound — certain
  16. lean — thin
  17. field — farmland
  18. track — a path
  19. cap — a hat
  20. track — a song
  21. bound — obliged
  22. march — the month
  23. root — of a plant
  24. lean — to bend

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