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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. spell — magic
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. spell — a short time
  6. object — to protest
  7. capital — a city
  8. spell — letters
  9. capital — money
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. root — the cause
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. object — a thing
  14. pass — a permit
  15. craft — boats
  16. root — of a word
  17. root — of a plant
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. object — an aim
  22. game — wild animals
  23. craft — a skill
  24. game — a match

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