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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. pass — a permit
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. spring — the season
  5. spring — a coil
  6. rush — hurry
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. row — to paddle
  9. spring — of water
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. ground — crushed
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. fine — all right
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. object — an aim
  17. ground — a position
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. ground — the earth
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. object — a thing
  23. object — to protest
  24. fine — high quality

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