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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: chest · lie · mate · field · root · track · cap · current

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. chest — of your body
  3. current — electric
  4. root — the cause
  5. field — for sport
  6. root — of a plant
  7. current — of water
  8. lie — to recline
  9. field — a subject
  10. mate — to breed
  11. track — to keep track
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. cap — of ice
  14. chest — a box
  15. mate — a friend
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. mate — a partner
  18. cap — a hat
  19. track — a path
  20. cap — a lid
  21. track — a song
  22. root — of a word
  23. field — farmland
  24. current — happening now

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