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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: mate · toast · land · track · racket · rush · root · temple

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. track — a song
  3. root — of a word
  4. rush — hurry
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. land — a country
  9. root — of a plant
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. mate — to breed
  12. mate — a friend
  13. track — to keep track
  14. mate — a partner
  15. track — a path
  16. land — ground
  17. land — to come down
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. root — the cause
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. toast — bread
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. racket — a loud noise

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