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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rest — a break
  6. root — the cause
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. rest — what's left
  10. pit — in a race
  11. bulb — for light
  12. rock — music
  13. root — of a plant
  14. game — a match
  15. bulb — for light
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. root — of a word
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. game — wild animals
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. pit — a hole
  24. pass — a permit

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