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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. fine — all right
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. mark — a grade
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. pass — a permit
  8. shower — to wash
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. squash — the sport
  12. mark — a trace
  13. root — of a plant
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. bark — to shout
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. shower — rain
  19. pit — a hole
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. squash — to crush
  22. root — of a word
  23. fine — high quality
  24. pit — in a race

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