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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. drill — the tool
  3. pass — a permit
  4. drill — a practice
  5. board — to get on
  6. pop — soda
  7. track — to keep track
  8. root — of a word
  9. pop — music
  10. root — of a plant
  11. track — a path
  12. board — a committee
  13. track — a song
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. cap — a lid
  16. roll — a cake
  17. cap — of ice
  18. cap — a hat
  19. root — the cause
  20. drill — army training
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. pop — to visit
  24. roll — a list

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