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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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Word bank
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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  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. can — a tin
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. root — of a plant
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. season — of the year
  8. pass — a permit
  9. can — to be able to
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. spell — magic
  13. season — in sport
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. spell — letters
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. root — of a word
  20. can — a tin
  21. spell — a short time
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. sharp — clever
  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