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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
468
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 · can · root · last · mate · bay · pit · track

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. pit — a hole
  3. can — a tin
  4. last — final
  5. root — the cause
  6. track — to keep track
  7. last — to go on
  8. track — a path
  9. can — a tin
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. mate — a partner
  13. field — a subject
  14. mate — to breed
  15. root — of a plant
  16. pit — in a race
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. field — for sport
  19. root — of a word
  20. field — farmland
  21. track — a song
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. last — finally
  24. can — to be able to

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