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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: rest · bound · tube · root · roll · track · game · date

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. track — a song
  4. date — the fruit
  5. track — a path
  6. game — wild animals
  7. root — of a plant
  8. tube — a container
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. bound — certain
  12. rest — what's left
  13. track — to keep track
  14. bound — obliged
  15. roll — a list
  16. tube — the underground
  17. roll — a cake
  18. root — of a word
  19. rest — a break
  20. root — the cause
  21. game — a match
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. rest — what's left
  24. date — on the calendar

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