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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 116 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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. pass — a permit
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. mine — for digging
  6. root — of a plant
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. root — of a word
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. capital — money
  11. row — to paddle
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. spring — of water
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. root — the cause
  18. capital — a city
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. spring — a coil
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. spring — the season
  24. row — a line

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