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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: game · mark · root · cue · ground · stem · bay · track

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. root — the cause
  3. ground — crushed
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. stem — to come from
  7. game — wild animals
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. track — a path
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. ground — the earth
  12. ground — a position
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. root — of a word
  16. mark — a trace
  17. cue — a signal
  18. cue — for pool
  19. cue — a hint
  20. track — a song
  21. game — a match
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. mark — a grade
  24. track — to keep track

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