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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. pass — a permit
  3. ball — a great time
  4. field — a subject
  5. kick — in football
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. date — the fruit
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. cap — of ice
  10. cap — a lid
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. root — the cause
  15. field — farmland
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. field — for sport
  18. cap — a hat
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. ball — a dance
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. root — of a plant
  24. date — on the calendar

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