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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. bass — low music
  4. spell — magic
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. chest — of your body
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. pass — a permit
  9. fork — in a road
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. bass — the fish
  12. spell — a short time
  13. chest — of your body
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. chest — a box
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. root — the cause
  20. root — of a word
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. root — of a plant
  24. coach — a trainer

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