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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: mine · chip · track · object · face · scale · root · land

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. track — a path
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. scale — in music
  5. object — an aim
  6. scale — size or range
  7. chip — for betting
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. chip — to eat
  10. mine — for digging
  11. land — a country
  12. face — to point toward
  13. face — part of the head
  14. track — a song
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. root — the cause
  17. root — of a word
  18. face — to confront
  19. object — to protest
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. land — ground
  22. root — of a plant
  23. track — to keep track
  24. land — to come down

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