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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: track · root · face · current · content · stick · racket · march

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. content — happy
  3. face — part of the head
  4. content — the amount
  5. current — of water
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. root — of a word
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. root — the cause
  12. march — the month
  13. track — a song
  14. face — to point toward
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. current — electric
  17. track — to keep track
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. march — music
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. march — the month
  22. track — a path
  23. root — of a plant
  24. current — happening now

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