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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: track · bay · saw · game · rule · root · bat · leaves

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. track — a path
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. saw — the tool
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. root — the cause
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. saw — the tool
  11. track — to keep track
  12. game — wild animals
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. root — of a plant
  15. rule — government
  16. rule — a law
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. bat — the animal
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. game — a match
  22. root — of a word
  23. track — a song
  24. bat — for baseball

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