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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 116 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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. pass — a permit
  4. can — a tin
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. field — farmland
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. march — music
  9. land — a country
  10. mug — a face
  11. field — for sport
  12. cap — of ice
  13. march — the month
  14. can — to be able to
  15. field — a subject
  16. mug — to rob
  17. land — to come down
  18. cap — a lid
  19. land — ground
  20. march — the month
  21. can — a tin
  22. cap — a hat
  23. mug — a cup
  24. dip — to dunk

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