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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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 · spring · game · hand · present · root · chair · wave

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. hand — in cards
  3. chair — a leader
  4. root — of a word
  5. present — there
  6. spring — a coil
  7. present — a gift
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. present — the time now
  10. game — wild animals
  11. root — of a plant
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. game — a match
  15. root — the cause
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. spring — of water
  18. pass — a permit
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. spring — the season
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. hand — help

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