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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. pass — a permit
  3. track — to keep track
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. ground — a position
  6. club — for golf
  7. club — a group
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. row — to paddle
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. row — a line
  14. club — for dancing
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. root — of a plant
  18. root — of a word
  19. track — a song
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. ground — crushed
  22. root — the cause
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. track — a path

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