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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 120 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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  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. pass — to succeed
  2. firm — steady
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. fine — high quality
  5. degree — temperature
  6. plane — a tool
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. firm — decided
  9. firm — a company
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. root — of a word
  12. degree — an amount
  13. pass — a permit
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. root — the cause
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. shower — to wash
  19. fine — all right
  20. shower — rain
  21. root — of a plant
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. degree — from a university
  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