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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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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: track · cap · rest · charge · land · root · plane · hand

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. track — to keep track
  3. root — of a plant
  4. charge — in control
  5. charge — a price
  6. land — ground
  7. rest — what's left
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. track — a song
  11. plane — a tool
  12. cap — a hat
  13. hand — help
  14. hand — in cards
  15. rest — a break
  16. track — a path
  17. land — to come down
  18. root — of a word
  19. root — the cause
  20. cap — a lid
  21. land — a country
  22. charge — electricity
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. rest — what's left

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