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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. ground — crushed
  4. ground — the earth
  5. court — of a king
  6. cap — of ice
  7. wake — a trail
  8. club — a group
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. root — of a plant
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. club — for dancing
  14. cap — a lid
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. root — the cause
  17. root — of a word
  18. court — of law
  19. court — for sport
  20. ground — a position
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. pass — a permit
  23. club — for golf
  24. cap — a hat

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