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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. track — a song
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. track — a path
  6. bound — tied together
  7. perch — the fish
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. deal — to handle
  10. bore — to drill
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bound — obliged
  13. file — a tool
  14. bound — certain
  15. file — a document
  16. file — a line of people
  17. track — to keep track
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bore — to tire
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. deal — a big deal

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