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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 had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. date — the fruit
  4. present — the time now
  5. pass — a permit
  6. toast — bread
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. root — of a plant
  9. present — a gift
  10. drill — army training
  11. chair — a leader
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. present — there
  14. clip — for paper
  15. root — the cause
  16. clip — a video
  17. root — of a word
  18. clip — to cut
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. drill — the tool

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