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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. root — the cause
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. cue — a hint
  7. cue — a signal
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. root — of a plant
  10. degree — from a university
  11. pound — a weight
  12. game — wild animals
  13. game — a match
  14. degree — temperature
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. root — of a word
  20. pass — a permit
  21. cue — for pool
  22. degree — an amount
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. stand — to bear

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