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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. spell — magic
  3. spell — a short time
  4. chip — for betting
  5. date — the fruit
  6. club — for golf
  7. chip — to eat
  8. club — for dancing
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. last — final
  11. club — a group
  12. drill — a practice
  13. last — to go on
  14. last — finally
  15. pass — a permit
  16. spell — letters
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. drill — the tool
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. drill — army training

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