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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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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: rule · track · straw · content · date · root · stick · mark

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. rule — a law
  3. root — the cause
  4. date — the fruit
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. mark — a grade
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. track — to keep track
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. track — a song
  11. mark — a trace
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. root — of a word
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. rule — government
  19. content — the amount
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. root — of a plant
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. content — happy
  24. track — a path

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