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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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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: ball · root · ground · present · roll · pass · plane · march

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. march — the month
  3. plane — a tool
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. pass — a permit
  6. march — music
  7. root — of a plant
  8. march — the month
  9. ground — the earth
  10. present — the time now
  11. present — a gift
  12. ball — a dance
  13. root — of a word
  14. ball — a great time
  15. ground — a position
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. present — there
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. root — the cause
  22. ground — crushed
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. roll — a list

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