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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 wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. root — of a plant
  3. swing — music
  4. fall — the season
  5. track — a path
  6. pass — a permit
  7. march — music
  8. pit — a hole
  9. track — to keep track
  10. track — a song
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. degree — from a university
  13. march — the month
  14. root — the cause
  15. fall — to drop
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. fall — to drop
  18. swing — in golf
  19. pit — in a race
  20. degree — an amount
  21. march — the month
  22. degree — temperature
  23. swing — to play on
  24. root — of a word

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