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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. pass — a permit
  3. track — to keep track
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. spring — of water
  6. track — a path
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. root — of a plant
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. season — in sport
  11. root — the cause
  12. track — a song
  13. bear — the animal
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. season — of the year
  16. stand — to bear
  17. spring — a coil
  18. spring — the season
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. rock — music
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. root — of a word
  24. rock — a stone

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