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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. ground — crushed
  4. march — music
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. wind — moving air
  7. track — a path
  8. bulb — for light
  9. ground — the earth
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. ground — a position
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. hand — in cards
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. march — the month
  17. bulb — for light
  18. pass — a permit
  19. track — to keep track
  20. track — a song
  21. wind — moving air
  22. march — the month
  23. stand — to bear
  24. hand — help

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