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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. root — of a plant
  3. stock — shares
  4. spring — a coil
  5. root — of a word
  6. pass — a permit
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. root — the cause
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. plane — a tool
  11. spring — the season
  12. band — a ring
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. band — a music group
  16. stock — goods
  17. rule — a law
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. rule — government
  22. spring — of water
  23. fork — in a road
  24. band — a rubber band

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