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

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. present — there
  7. toast — bread
  8. present — the time now
  9. pass — a permit
  10. track — a song
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. track — a path
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. present — a gift
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. track — to keep track

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