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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: game · fall · craft · saw · chip · track · root · mark

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. track — a path
  3. fall — the season
  4. track — to keep track
  5. fall — to drop
  6. game — wild animals
  7. saw — the tool
  8. craft — a skill
  9. track — a song
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. chip — to eat
  13. mark — a grade
  14. root — the cause
  15. mark — a trace
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. saw — the tool
  18. chip — for betting
  19. root — of a plant
  20. fall — to drop
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. game — a match
  24. craft — boats

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