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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: cap · board · nail · track · leaves · season · mate · root

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. root — the cause
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. season — of the year
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. track — a song
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. mate — a partner
  10. board — to get on
  11. root — of a plant
  12. track — a path
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. mate — a friend
  15. mate — to breed
  16. cap — a lid
  17. season — in sport
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. track — to keep track
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. root — of a word
  23. board — a committee
  24. cap — a hat

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