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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. bound — certain
  4. mug — to rob
  5. root — of a word
  6. bound — tied together
  7. rush — hurry
  8. root — the cause
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. fork — in a road
  14. pass — a permit
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. content — happy
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. mug — a cup
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. root — of a plant
  22. content — the amount
  23. mug — a face
  24. bound — obliged

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