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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. root — of a plant
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. present — there
  9. chair — a leader
  10. present — a gift
  11. game — a match
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. root — the cause
  14. game — wild animals
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. mark — a trace
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. pass — a permit
  20. mark — a grade
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. deal — to handle
  24. present — the time now

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