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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.

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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  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. pass — to succeed
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. race — the arms race
  4. band — a ring
  5. root — of a plant
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. squash — to crush
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. squash — the sport
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. can — a tin
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. race — a contest
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. root — of a word
  17. band — a music group
  18. race — humankind
  19. can — a tin
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. pass — a permit
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. can — to be able to
  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