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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 120 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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. land — ground
  3. bass — the fish
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. root — of a word
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. season — of the year
  10. root — of a plant
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. root — the cause
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. bass — low music
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. land — to come down
  18. season — in sport
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. land — a country
  21. dip — to sink
  22. pass — a permit
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. dip — to dunk

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