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

Word bank: squash · present · wave · pit · root · pass · field · drill

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. present — the time now
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. field — for sport
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. field — farmland
  8. squash — the sport
  9. pass — a permit
  10. present — a gift
  11. pit — in a race
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. drill — a practice
  16. root — the cause
  17. drill — the tool
  18. squash — to crush
  19. root — of a plant
  20. pit — a hole
  21. present — there
  22. root — of a word
  23. drill — army training
  24. field — a subject

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