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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. clip — a video
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — the animal
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. pass — a permit
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. root — of a plant
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. root — the cause
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. clip — to cut
  15. land — a country
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. clip — for paper
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. land — ground
  21. rock — music
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. land — to come down
  24. rock — a stone

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