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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. swing — to play on
  8. ground — a position
  9. drill — army training
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. row — to paddle
  12. ground — the earth
  13. drill — the tool
  14. ground — crushed
  15. row — a line
  16. drill — a practice
  17. chip — to eat
  18. swing — in golf
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. chip — for betting
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. pass — a permit
  23. swing — music
  24. racket — for tennis

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