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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 120 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: mate · track · file · spell · suit · root · chair · ground

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. suit — in cards
  3. track — a path
  4. file — a tool
  5. root — of a plant
  6. spell — letters
  7. ground — crushed
  8. ground — a position
  9. mate — a friend
  10. suit — clothes
  11. mate — a partner
  12. file — a line of people
  13. track — a song
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. file — a document
  16. root — the cause
  17. root — of a word
  18. chair — a leader
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. suit — to fit
  21. ground — the earth
  22. spell — magic
  23. spell — a short time
  24. mate — to breed

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