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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: staff · rest · bat · root · ball · firm · leaves · track

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. bat — the animal
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. staff — employees
  5. root — the cause
  6. staff — employees
  7. track — to keep track
  8. ball — a great time
  9. root — of a word
  10. firm — decided
  11. root — of a plant
  12. track — a path
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. staff — a stick
  15. firm — steady
  16. firm — a company
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. rest — what's left
  20. ball — a dance
  21. rest — what's left
  22. track — a song
  23. rest — a break
  24. bat — in an idiom

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