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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. bear — the animal
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. bulb — for light
  7. pound — a weight
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. pop — to visit
  10. prune — to trim
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pass — a permit
  13. pop — music
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bear — the animal
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. shower — to wash
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pop — soda
  22. prune — to trim
  23. shower — rain
  24. bulb — of a plant

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