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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. root — the cause
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. rash — hasty
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. prune — to trim
  9. rule — a law
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. rule — government
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. root — of a plant
  16. prune — to trim
  17. rash — a series
  18. ball — a dance
  19. pass — a permit
  20. root — of a word
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. ball — a great time
  24. branch — a division

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