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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
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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: net · chair · spring · mark · root · track · bay · mate

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  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. mark — to pay attention
  2. spring — of water
  3. chair — a leader
  4. mark — a trace
  5. track — a song
  6. net — for catching
  7. net — after costs
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. spring — the season
  10. net — in sport
  11. mate — to breed
  12. track — a path
  13. root — the cause
  14. track — to keep track
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. root — of a word
  20. root — of a plant
  21. mark — a grade
  22. mate — a partner
  23. spring — a coil
  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