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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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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 · wake · content · kid · deal · root · board · stem

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. content — the amount
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. track — a song
  5. root — the cause
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. root — of a plant
  10. board — a committee
  11. content — happy
  12. deal — to handle
  13. kid — child
  14. board — to get on
  15. stem — to come from
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. kid — to tease
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. track — to keep track
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. track — a path
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. root — of a word

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