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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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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 · roll · field · object · mate · stick · rest · toast

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. roll — a list
  3. mate — a partner
  4. object — a thing
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. field — farmland
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. rest — what's left
  9. field — a subject
  10. root — of a plant
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. object — to protest
  14. mate — a friend
  15. roll — a cake
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. field — for sport
  19. object — an aim
  20. root — of a word
  21. toast — bread
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rest — a break
  24. mate — to breed

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