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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. game — a match
  4. bear — the animal
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. bear — the animal
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. season — in sport
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. wind — moving air
  14. season — of the year
  15. ball — a great time
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. wind — moving air
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. game — wild animals
  22. ball — a dance
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. pass — a permit

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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