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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rash · perch · mine · track · root · ball · deal · stick

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. root — of a word
  3. track — a song
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. ball — a dance
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. rash — a series
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. perch — the fish
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. track — to keep track
  16. root — the cause
  17. deal — to handle
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. rash — hasty
  20. mine — for digging
  21. ball — a great time
  22. track — a path
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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