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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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. scale — size or range
  5. season — of the year
  6. root — of a plant
  7. bass — the fish
  8. bass — low music
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. root — of a word
  11. scale — in music
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. season — in sport
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. root — the cause
  16. pass — a permit
  17. snap — to click
  18. drill — the tool
  19. bear — the animal
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. bear — the animal
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. drill — a practice
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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