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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. mate — a friend
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. root — of a word
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. root — of a plant
  7. root — the cause
  8. suit — in cards
  9. perch — the fish
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. mate — to breed
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. pitch — completely
  15. snap — to click
  16. suit — to fit
  17. pass — a permit
  18. suit — clothes
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. pound — a weight
  22. mate — a partner
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. pound — for dogs

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