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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. pass — a permit
  5. branch — a division
  6. bat — the animal
  7. field — for sport
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. root — of a word
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. field — a subject
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. wound — an injury
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. root — of a plant
  21. field — farmland
  22. wound — an injury
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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