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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.

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: root · pop · cap · kid · pass · can · field · fine

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. fine — high quality
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. cap — of ice
  5. pop — music
  6. can — a tin
  7. pop — to visit
  8. root — the cause
  9. kid — to tease
  10. fine — all right
  11. cap — a lid
  12. field — a subject
  13. kid — child
  14. cap — a hat
  15. pop — soda
  16. field — farmland
  17. can — a tin
  18. root — of a plant
  19. pass — a permit
  20. can — to be able to
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. field — for sport
  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