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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 116 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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. track — a song
  5. can — a tin
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. board — to get on
  8. wax — to grow
  9. track — to keep track
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. can — a tin
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. spring — a coil
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. spring — of water
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. board — a committee
  22. spring — the season
  23. can — to be able to
  24. track — a path

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