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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. spring — the season
  4. spring — a coil
  5. mug — a cup
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. root — the cause
  8. mate — to breed
  9. root — of a word
  10. mate — a partner
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. pound — a weight
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. pass — a permit
  17. root — of a plant
  18. mug — a face
  19. cell — a phone
  20. cell — in biology
  21. mark — a trace
  22. mug — to rob
  23. mate — a friend
  24. spring — of water

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