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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: board · present · track · root · mark · capital · fine · land

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. fine — all right
  4. root — of a plant
  5. capital — money
  6. board — to get on
  7. present — the time now
  8. present — there
  9. land — to come down
  10. track — a path
  11. track — to keep track
  12. root — of a word
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. capital — a city
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. present — a gift
  17. mark — a grade
  18. land — a country
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. board — a committee
  21. land — ground
  22. root — the cause
  23. fine — high quality
  24. mark — a trace

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