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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's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. mine — for digging
  3. drill — a practice
  4. root — of a word
  5. pass — a permit
  6. drill — army training
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. bulb — for light
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. cue — a signal
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. drill — the tool
  15. root — the cause
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. pitch — completely
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. root — of a plant
  21. cue — for pool
  22. cue — a hint
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — of a plant

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