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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.

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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. board — to get on
  5. track — to keep track
  6. wound — an injury
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. pass — a permit
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. track — a path
  13. pit — a hole
  14. pit — in a race
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. track — a song
  17. board — a committee
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. wound — an injury
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. racket — for tennis

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