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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: pass · track · date · foot · root · hide · capital · cue

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. cue — for pool
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. track — a path
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. date — the fruit
  8. track — to keep track
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. root — the cause
  12. pass — a permit
  13. foot — a measure
  14. capital — a city
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. root — of a plant
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. cue — a hint
  22. cue — a signal
  23. root — of a word
  24. track — a song

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