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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. root — the cause
  3. degree — temperature
  4. track — a path
  5. pit — a hole
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. root — of a word
  9. pit — in a race
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. track — to keep track
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. track — a song
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. degree — from a university
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. degree — an amount
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. root — of a plant
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. snap — to click
  24. pass — to succeed

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