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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. track — a path
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. mine — for digging
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. roll — a cake
  7. content — the amount
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. prune — to trim
  13. track — a song
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. roll — a list
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. content — happy
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. track — to keep track
  23. prune — to trim
  24. roll — on a roll

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