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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: pop · fall · root · file · plane · track · pitcher · last

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. file — a tool
  3. track — a song
  4. last — to go on
  5. file — a line of people
  6. root — of a word
  7. file — a document
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. last — finally
  10. root — of a plant
  11. fall — the season
  12. pop — to visit
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. track — a path
  15. root — the cause
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. last — final
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pop — soda
  20. fall — to drop
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. plane — a tool
  23. track — to keep track
  24. fall — to drop

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