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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: safe · track · root · band · hide · field · rule · rest

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. rule — government
  6. field — a subject
  7. root — of a plant
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. band — a ring
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. rest — a break
  13. rest — what's left
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. root — the cause
  16. rule — a law
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. field — farmland
  19. root — of a word
  20. track — a path
  21. rest — what's left
  22. band — a music group
  23. track — a song
  24. track — to keep track

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