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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: rock · court · present · root · bat · track · saw · dip

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. root — the cause
  4. present — a gift
  5. saw — the tool
  6. root — of a plant
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. root — of a word
  9. track — a path
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. present — there
  12. rock — a stone
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. present — the time now
  15. bat — the animal
  16. rock — music
  17. dip — to sink
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. court — for sport
  20. saw — the tool
  21. court — of law
  22. track — to keep track
  23. court — of a king
  24. track — a song

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