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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pass · cap · mug · saw · bark · root · field · snap

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. field — a subject
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. cap — of ice
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. pass — a permit
  8. snap — to click
  9. saw — the tool
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. field — for sport
  12. field — farmland
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. cap — a lid
  15. bark — to shout
  16. mug — a face
  17. mug — to rob
  18. root — the cause
  19. mug — a cup
  20. root — of a plant
  21. cap — a hat
  22. saw — the tool
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. root — of a word

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