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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. spell — a short time
  3. mark — a trace
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. mark — a grade
  8. snap — to click
  9. bulb — for light
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. bulb — for light
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. perch — the fish
  15. board — to get on
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. spell — magic
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. board — a committee
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. spell — letters

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