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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: ruler · chair · face · track · root · pound · craft · pitcher

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. root — of a word
  4. face — to point toward
  5. track — a song
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. root — the cause
  8. craft — a skill
  9. root — of a plant
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. chair — a leader
  14. track — to keep track
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. craft — boats
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pound — a weight
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. face — to confront
  23. face — part of the head
  24. craft — a handicraft

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