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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: track · rash · wax · root · club · fork · vault · field

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. rash — a series
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. rash — hasty
  5. field — a subject
  6. vault — a safe
  7. root — of a word
  8. field — for sport
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. wax — to grow
  12. track — a path
  13. club — for dancing
  14. field — farmland
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. club — for golf
  18. root — the cause
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. track — to keep track
  21. club — a group
  22. root — of a plant
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. track — a song

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