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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: dip · root · staff · track · season · bore · bay · mark

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. dip — to sink
  4. track — a song
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. bore — to tire
  7. mark — a grade
  8. season — of the year
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. root — the cause
  12. staff — a stick
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. staff — employees
  16. root — of a plant
  17. track — to keep track
  18. root — of a word
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. mark — a trace
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. season — in sport
  24. track — a path

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