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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. club — for dancing
  3. row — to paddle
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. club — for golf
  6. game — wild animals
  7. row — a line
  8. pass — a permit
  9. tear — from crying
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. root — of a plant
  13. cap — a lid
  14. root — of a word
  15. cap — of ice
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. game — a match
  18. tear — to rip
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cap — a hat
  22. tear — from crying
  23. club — a group
  24. root — the cause

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