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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. root — of a word
  3. pass — a permit
  4. root — of a plant
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. bound — certain
  7. kick — in football
  8. bound — tied together
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. track — to keep track
  11. track — a path
  12. rush — hurry
  13. root — the cause
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. scale — size or range
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. track — a song
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. bound — obliged
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. staff — employees
  22. staff — a stick
  23. scale — in music
  24. staff — employees

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