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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 116 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: cap · wound · mark · pass · ground · field · root · mate

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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. field — farmland
  4. ground — crushed
  5. mark — a grade
  6. ground — a position
  7. wound — an injury
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. field — a subject
  10. mate — a friend
  11. mark — a trace
  12. cap — a hat
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. wound — an injury
  15. mate — to breed
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. field — for sport
  19. ground — the earth
  20. mate — a partner
  21. cap — a lid
  22. pass — a permit
  23. cap — of ice
  24. root — the cause

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