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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. root — of a plant
  5. mark — a grade
  6. root — of a word
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. pass — a permit
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. season — of the year
  15. root — the cause
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. fall — to drop
  18. mark — a trace
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — the season
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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