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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. land — a country
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. pop — music
  6. land — to come down
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. pop — soda
  10. pit — a hole
  11. track — a song
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. track — to keep track
  14. land — ground
  15. root — the cause
  16. track — a path
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rest — a break
  21. root — of a plant
  22. date — the fruit
  23. pit — in a race
  24. root — of a word

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