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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. root — of a word
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. rule — government
  5. root — the cause
  6. track — to keep track
  7. field — for sport
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. field — a subject
  11. root — of a plant
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. bass — low music
  14. rule — a law
  15. bass — the fish
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. squash — the sport
  19. deal — to handle
  20. vault — a safe
  21. track — a path
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. squash — to crush
  24. field — farmland

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