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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. march — the month
  6. root — of a plant
  7. march — music
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. root — of a word
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. land — a country
  12. date — the fruit
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. root — the cause
  16. pass — a permit
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. march — the month
  19. land — ground
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. land — to come down

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