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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: firm · coach · ball · rest · spell · land · track · root

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. root — of a word
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. land — to come down
  5. track — a path
  6. firm — decided
  7. spell — magic
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. firm — a company
  10. spell — letters
  11. ball — a dance
  12. track — a song
  13. rest — what's left
  14. land — ground
  15. track — to keep track
  16. firm — steady
  17. root — of a plant
  18. ball — a great time
  19. rest — a break
  20. spell — a short time
  21. rest — what's left
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. root — the cause

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