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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: field · root · mate · row · track · game · cap · stick

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. root — of a plant
  3. row — to paddle
  4. field — a subject
  5. row — a line
  6. game — a match
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. track — a song
  10. cap — a lid
  11. game — wild animals
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. field — farmland
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. mate — to breed
  16. track — to keep track
  17. cap — a hat
  18. root — of a word
  19. root — the cause
  20. mate — a partner
  21. mate — a friend
  22. track — a path
  23. field — for sport
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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