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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. court — for sport
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. mate — a friend
  5. root — the cause
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. court — of law
  8. swing — in golf
  9. court — of a king
  10. mate — a partner
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. root — of a word
  13. band — a music group
  14. swing — music
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. pass — a permit
  17. root — of a plant
  18. band — a ring
  19. perch — the fish
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. mate — to breed
  22. track — to keep track
  23. track — a path
  24. swing — to play on

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