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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. ground — crushed
  3. root — the cause
  4. pass — a permit
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. field — farmland
  8. spell — a short time
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. root — of a plant
  11. ground — the earth
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. ground — a position
  14. spell — magic
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. bass — the fish
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. bass — low music
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. stand — to bear
  21. pound — a weight
  22. root — of a word
  23. spell — letters
  24. field — a subject

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