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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 116 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: rush · straw · mug · track · cap · field · root · bound

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. track — a path
  3. cap — a hat
  4. mug — a cup
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. root — of a plant
  7. rush — hurry
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. cap — a lid
  10. track — to keep track
  11. bound — tied together
  12. root — the cause
  13. root — of a word
  14. field — for sport
  15. field — a subject
  16. bound — obliged
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. cap — of ice
  19. bound — certain
  20. track — a song
  21. mug — a face
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. mug — to rob
  24. rush — a thrill

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