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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 120 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
468
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: root · mate · land · vault · field · track · lie · season

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. mate — to breed
  3. track — a path
  4. season — in sport
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. season — of the year
  7. field — a subject
  8. field — for sport
  9. land — ground
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. land — a country
  12. mate — a friend
  13. land — to come down
  14. lie — to recline
  15. track — to keep track
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. vault — a safe
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. root — of a word
  20. field — farmland
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. root — the cause
  23. track — a song
  24. mate — a partner

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