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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: nail · rash · cell · root · mate · net · track · present

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. cell — a phone
  4. rash — a series
  5. net — after costs
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. mate — a partner
  8. net — for catching
  9. net — in sport
  10. present — there
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. track — a path
  14. mate — to breed
  15. track — a song
  16. rash — hasty
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. root — of a plant
  19. present — a gift
  20. present — the time now
  21. cell — in biology
  22. root — of a word
  23. root — the cause
  24. mate — a friend

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