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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. rash — a series
  6. root — of a plant
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. rash — hasty
  9. root — of a word
  10. root — the cause
  11. spell — a short time
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. pass — a permit
  15. spell — magic
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. spell — letters
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. stock — shares
  21. stock — goods
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. foot — a measure
  24. jam — a tight spot

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