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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. pit — a hole
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. rest — a break
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. spring — of water
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. rest — what's left
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. pit — in a race
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. pass — a permit
  15. spring — the season
  16. rest — what's left
  17. scale — in music
  18. scale — size or range

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