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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
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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: root · wound · pitcher · track · mug · game · rush · dip

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. track — a song
  3. mug — a cup
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. mug — to rob
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. root — the cause
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. game — wild animals
  11. game — a match
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. rush — hurry
  15. track — a path
  16. wound — an injury
  17. mug — a face
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. root — of a plant
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. dip — to sink
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. wound — an injury
  24. track — to keep track

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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