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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. fine — high quality
  3. mate — a partner
  4. fine — all right
  5. tear — from crying
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. pass — a permit
  8. spring — a coil
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. fork — in a road
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. mate — to breed
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. mate — a friend
  17. spring — of water
  18. tear — from crying
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. stand — to bear
  21. tear — to rip
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. spring — the season
  24. pass — to succeed

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