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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 120 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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. craft — boats
  3. field — for sport
  4. march — the month
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. march — music
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. cap — of ice
  9. firm — decided
  10. cap — a hat
  11. pass — a permit
  12. march — the month
  13. field — farmland
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. pit — a hole
  16. firm — a company
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. cap — a lid
  19. field — a subject
  20. pit — in a race
  21. craft — a skill
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. firm — steady
  24. straw — a straw man

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