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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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. drill — a practice
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. game — a match
  6. drill — the tool
  7. root — the cause
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. object — an aim
  10. pass — a permit
  11. object — a thing
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. root — of a plant
  14. club — for golf
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. root — of a word
  17. club — for dancing
  18. club — a group
  19. object — to protest
  20. toast — bread
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. drill — army training
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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