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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. bound — obliged
  3. swing — in golf
  4. rest — a break
  5. cap — a lid
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. track — to keep track
  8. cap — a hat
  9. rest — what's left
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. track — a path
  12. bound — certain
  13. pass — a permit
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. swing — music
  18. rest — what's left
  19. cap — of ice
  20. track — a song
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. mine — for digging
  23. bound — tied together
  24. swing — to play on

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