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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. root — of a plant
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. date — the fruit
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. board — a committee
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. pass — a permit
  14. ball — a dance
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. root — of a word
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. board — to get on
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. root — the cause
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. date — on the calendar

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