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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. spell — a short time
  3. spell — magic
  4. fork — in a road
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. track — a path
  8. march — music
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. cell — a phone
  11. wind — moving air
  12. track — to keep track
  13. cell — in biology
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. march — the month
  18. spell — letters
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. march — the month
  22. wind — moving air
  23. pass — a permit
  24. track — a song

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