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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. field — for sport
  3. land — to come down
  4. capital — money
  5. root — the cause
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. root — of a plant
  8. land — a country
  9. land — ground
  10. plane — a tool
  11. field — a subject
  12. pass — a permit
  13. field — farmland
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. pit — in a race
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. root — of a word
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — to trim
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. capital — a city

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