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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. pass — a permit
  3. row — to paddle
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. rash — a series
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. field — for sport
  12. cell — in biology
  13. cell — a phone
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. pitch — completely
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. mark — a grade
  19. row — a line
  20. field — farmland
  21. rash — hasty
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. mark — a trace
  24. field — a subject

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