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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. suit — to fit
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. craft — a skill
  5. root — of a word
  6. march — the month
  7. race — humankind
  8. pass — a permit
  9. march — the month
  10. race — the arms race
  11. scale — size or range
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. suit — clothes
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. root — the cause
  17. root — of a plant
  18. suit — in cards
  19. scale — in music
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. march — music
  22. race — a contest
  23. craft — boats
  24. bowl — a football final

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