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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. pass — a permit
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. land — ground
  5. file — a document
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. land — to come down
  12. cue — a hint
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. cue — for pool
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. land — a country
  19. file — a tool
  20. perch — the fish
  21. file — a line of people
  22. cue — a signal
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. trunk — of a car

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