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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. root — of a word
  3. fall — the season
  4. bound — obliged
  5. mate — a partner
  6. scale — in music
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. pop — music
  9. root — the cause
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. pop — soda
  13. pop — to visit
  14. stand — to bear
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. bound — certain
  17. mate — to breed
  18. mate — a friend
  19. pass — a permit
  20. fall — to drop
  21. root — of a plant
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. bound — tied together
  24. scale — size or range

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