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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. toast — bread
  5. pass — a permit
  6. drill — a practice
  7. bulb — for light
  8. stem — to come from
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. present — there
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. net — in sport
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. present — the time now
  18. drill — the tool
  19. net — for catching
  20. drill — army training
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. net — after costs
  23. bulb — for light
  24. present — a gift

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