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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. craft — boats
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. fork — in a road
  6. rule — government
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. craft — a skill
  9. can — a tin
  10. rule — a law
  11. hand — in cards
  12. root — of a plant
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. root — of a word
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. root — the cause
  19. pass — a permit
  20. can — to be able to
  21. hand — help
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — for light
  24. can — a tin

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