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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
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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: march · rush · staff · saw · root · game · track · land

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. root — of a plant
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — the tool
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. staff — employees
  8. rush — hurry
  9. root — the cause
  10. game — a match
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. game — wild animals
  13. march — the month
  14. march — the month
  15. staff — employees
  16. land — a country
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. track — a path
  19. land — ground
  20. track — to keep track
  21. land — to come down
  22. staff — a stick
  23. march — music
  24. root — of a word

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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