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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. pass — a permit
  4. game — wild animals
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. prune — to trim
  8. fork — in a road
  9. current — electric
  10. chip — to eat
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. prune — to trim
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. band — a music group
  16. band — a ring
  17. chip — for betting
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. current — happening now
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. current — of water
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. game — a match
  24. nail — on a finger

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