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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. root — the cause
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. root — of a word
  5. pass — a permit
  6. fine — all right
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. fine — high quality
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. ground — a position
  12. mark — a trace
  13. bass — low music
  14. shower — to wash
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. pitch — completely
  17. ground — crushed
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. mark — a grade
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. bass — the fish
  23. root — of a plant
  24. shower — rain

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