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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. firm — steady
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. spell — letters
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. spell — magic
  8. track — a path
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. present — the time now
  11. pass — a permit
  12. track — to keep track
  13. present — there
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. fine — all right
  16. fine — high quality
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. present — a gift
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. firm — decided
  21. track — a song
  22. spell — a short time
  23. fork — in a road
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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