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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 · rash · rock · field · jam · saw · arm · root

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. root — the cause
  4. rock — music
  5. field — for sport
  6. rock — a stone
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. root — of a plant
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. rash — a series
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. field — farmland
  13. root — of a word
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — the tool
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. rash — hasty
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. deal — to handle
  24. arm — a part of something

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