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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.

Make a worksheet

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: rash · land · date · wax · object · kick · field · root

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. field — for sport
  3. object — a thing
  4. date — the fruit
  5. root — of a word
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. land — a country
  9. rash — a series
  10. object — to protest
  11. kick — in football
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. land — ground
  15. root — of a plant
  16. rash — hasty
  17. root — the cause
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. wax — to grow
  21. field — farmland
  22. object — an aim
  23. field — a subject
  24. kick — with a leg

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