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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 120 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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. prune — to trim
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. last — finally
  10. last — to go on
  11. root — of a word
  12. last — final
  13. bat — the animal
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. board — a committee
  17. board — to get on
  18. root — the cause
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. pass — a permit
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. root — of a plant

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