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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. root — of a word
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. pass — a permit
  6. bass — the fish
  7. root — of a plant
  8. bass — low music
  9. key — the most important part
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. chair — a leader
  12. cell — in biology
  13. key — for a lock
  14. game — a match
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. cap — a lid
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. game — wild animals
  19. root — the cause
  20. cell — a phone
  21. cap — a hat
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. cap — of ice
  24. chair — to sit on

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