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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. march — the month
  3. root — the cause
  4. rock — music
  5. mark — a trace
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. club — for golf
  8. drill — a practice
  9. root — of a plant
  10. club — a group
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. drill — the tool
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. drill — army training
  15. rush — hurry
  16. mark — a grade
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. pass — a permit
  19. march — the month
  20. march — music
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. club — for dancing
  23. rock — a stone
  24. mark — to pay attention

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