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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. pass — a permit
  3. pop — music
  4. pop — soda
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. root — of a plant
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. root — the cause
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. dip — to sink
  12. pop — to visit
  13. bark — to shout
  14. ground — a position
  15. ground — crushed
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. root — of a word
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. ground — the earth
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. rush — hurry
  24. rush — to hurry

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