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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 120 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 wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. field — farmland
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. branch — a division
  7. capital — money
  8. root — of a word
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. root — of a plant
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. row — to paddle
  13. pass — a permit
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. field — a subject
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. capital — a city
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. field — for sport
  22. root — the cause
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. row — a line

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