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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. root — the cause
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. pass — a permit
  5. squash — to crush
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. mark — a trace
  9. squash — the sport
  10. key — for a lock
  11. cold — an illness
  12. key — the most important part
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. mark — a grade
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. root — of a word
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. root — of a plant
  20. rush — hurry
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. cold — not warm
  23. key — in music
  24. bowl — to roll

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