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

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — for light
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. rock — a stone
  11. mark — a grade
  12. pass — a permit
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. mark — a trace
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. rock — music

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