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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
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: rest · pitcher · root · track · bat · mark · plane · ball

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. track — a song
  4. track — a path
  5. rest — a break
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. root — the cause
  8. mark — a grade
  9. track — to keep track
  10. root — of a word
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. rest — what's left
  13. ball — a great time
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. bat — the animal
  17. root — of a plant
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. ball — a dance
  21. mark — a trace
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. rest — what's left
  24. plane — a tool

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