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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bore — to drill
  4. season — of the year
  5. root — of a plant
  6. drill — the tool
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. root — the cause
  9. fine — high quality
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. drill — a practice
  14. stand — to bear
  15. pass — a permit
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. drill — army training
  19. root — of a word
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. fine — all right
  22. season — in sport
  23. bore — to tire
  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