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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: stick · pass · bear · root · march · cell · pitcher · craft

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. craft — a skill
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. march — music
  5. root — the cause
  6. march — the month
  7. bear — the animal
  8. march — the month
  9. bear — the animal
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. root — of a word
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. cell — a phone
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. cell — in biology
  19. pass — a permit
  20. craft — boats
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. root — of a plant

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