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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 116 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: ball · track · root · field · march · can · hide · present

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. root — of a word
  3. march — the month
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. march — music
  6. root — of a plant
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. track — to keep track
  9. track — a path
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — a tin
  12. present — a gift
  13. field — a subject
  14. root — the cause
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. present — there
  17. ball — a great time
  18. can — to be able to
  19. field — farmland
  20. present — the time now
  21. field — for sport
  22. ball — a dance
  23. track — a song
  24. ball — a round shape

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