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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 120 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: root · pop · lean · mark · calf · field · spell · track

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. spell — magic
  3. mark — a trace
  4. field — farmland
  5. lean — thin
  6. spell — a short time
  7. track — to keep track
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. track — a path
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. lean — to bend
  13. mark — a grade
  14. pop — to visit
  15. track — a song
  16. field — a subject
  17. spell — letters
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. pop — music
  20. root — the cause
  21. root — of a word
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. field — for sport
  24. root — of a plant

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