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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: face · ball · field · root · cabinet · wake · bore · march

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. field — farmland
  3. root — the cause
  4. face — to confront
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. field — for sport
  7. march — music
  8. bore — to tire
  9. root — of a word
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. wake — a trail
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. march — the month
  16. field — a subject
  17. march — the month
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. face — part of the head
  20. ball — a dance
  21. bore — to drill
  22. face — to point toward
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. ball — a great 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