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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. rush — hurry
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. march — the month
  5. cap — a hat
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. pass — a permit
  8. field — a subject
  9. root — of a word
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. march — music
  13. root — the cause
  14. root — of a plant
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. march — the month
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. cap — a lid
  21. cap — of ice
  22. field — for sport
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. rush — a thrill

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