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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: deal · tube · calf · track · root · spell

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. root — of a word
  3. spell — magic
  4. tube — the underground
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. root — of a plant
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. deal — to handle
  9. track — to keep track
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. spell — letters
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. tube — a container
  14. track — a song
  15. root — the cause
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. track — a path
  18. spell — a short time

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