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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're on a ________________ here.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. rock — a stone
  3. date — the fruit
  4. bulb — for light
  5. roll — a cake
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. row — a line
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. cap — a hat
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. cap — of ice
  13. wake — a trail
  14. rock — music
  15. roll — a list
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. cap — a lid
  20. bulb — for light
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. pass — a permit
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. row — to paddle

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