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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. root — of a word
  3. cap — of ice
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. hand — help
  7. rock — a stone
  8. ground — crushed
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — to trim
  12. ground — the earth
  13. rock — music
  14. ground — a position
  15. root — the cause
  16. hand — in cards
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. root — of a plant
  19. cap — a hat
  20. pass — a permit
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. pass — to spend time

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