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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 can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. wax — to grow
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. saw — the tool
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. march — the month
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. root — of a word
  10. band — a music group
  11. chip — for betting
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. pound — a weight
  14. saw — the tool
  15. root — of a plant
  16. band — a ring
  17. chip — to eat
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. root — the cause
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. march — the month
  22. march — music
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. wax — in the ear

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