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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 to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. stand — to bear
  8. root — of a word
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. capital — a city
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. row — a line
  14. pass — a permit
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. bat — the animal
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. capital — money
  21. root — of a plant
  22. root — the cause
  23. stem — to come from
  24. pass — to succeed

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