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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: tube · rush · net · field · stand · key · stick · root

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. root — of a plant
  4. field — farmland
  5. tube — the underground
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. root — of a word
  9. field — a subject
  10. key — for a lock
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. net — in sport
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. rush — hurry
  15. field — for sport
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. net — for catching
  18. tube — a container
  19. net — after costs
  20. key — in music
  21. key — the most important part
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stand — to bear

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