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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  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. pass — a permit
  2. club — a group
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. chair — a leader
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. club — for golf
  9. root — of a word
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. perch — the fish
  12. pit — a hole
  13. root — the cause
  14. saw — the tool
  15. pit — in a race
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. club — for dancing
  23. perch — for a bird
  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