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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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. date — the fruit
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. plane — a tool
  9. field — a subject
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. field — farmland
  12. root — the cause
  13. bulb — for light
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. bulb — for light
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. root — of a plant
  19. field — for sport
  20. root — of a word
  21. pass — a permit
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bulb — 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