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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
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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: game · pit · root · rest · suit · hand · track · squash

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. game — a match
  3. suit — clothes
  4. pit — a hole
  5. rest — a break
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. track — a song
  8. game — wild animals
  9. track — to keep track
  10. suit — in cards
  11. rest — what's left
  12. root — of a plant
  13. hand — help
  14. rest — what's left
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. pit — in a race
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. root — of a word
  19. squash — the sport
  20. suit — to fit
  21. root — the cause
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. hand — in cards
  24. squash — to crush

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