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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. field — for sport
  4. root — the cause
  5. swing — music
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. pass — a permit
  8. net — for catching
  9. clip — a video
  10. clip — for paper
  11. track — a song
  12. track — to keep track
  13. swing — in golf
  14. root — of a word
  15. bulb — for light
  16. field — a subject
  17. track — a path
  18. swing — to play on
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. clip — to cut
  21. root — of a plant
  22. field — farmland
  23. bulb — for light
  24. net — after costs

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