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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: march · leaves · root · pop · cabinet · safe · track · trunk

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. root — of a plant
  3. track — to keep track
  4. track — a path
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. root — of a word
  7. march — the month
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. pop — soda
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. root — the cause
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. march — the month
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. pop — music
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. pop — to visit
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. march — music
  23. track — a song
  24. cabinet — ministers

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