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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. track — a song
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — to be able to
  7. pass — a permit
  8. deal — to handle
  9. root — of a word
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. roll — a cake
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. root — of a plant
  15. can — a tin
  16. track — to keep track
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. root — the cause
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. roll — a list
  22. track — a path
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — ministers

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