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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: field · lash · root · saw · capital · racket · stick · track

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. track — a path
  3. root — of a word
  4. field — a subject
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. capital — money
  7. field — farmland
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. track — a song
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — the tool
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. root — of a plant
  20. track — to keep track
  21. capital — a city
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. root — the cause
  24. field — for sport

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