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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.

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 · track · court · wind · spring · cap · tube · plane

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. court — for sport
  4. root — of a word
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. cap — a lid
  7. root — the cause
  8. plane — a tool
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. root — of a plant
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. cap — a hat
  13. track — a song
  14. tube — a container
  15. court — of a king
  16. spring — the season
  17. wind — moving air
  18. spring — a coil
  19. track — a path
  20. court — of law
  21. tube — the underground
  22. cap — of ice
  23. wind — moving air
  24. spring — of water

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