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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. track — to keep track
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. court — for sport
  6. track — a song
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. track — a path
  9. court — of a king
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. kid — child
  14. pass — a permit
  15. court — of law
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. kid — to tease
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. lean — to bend
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. lean — thin
  23. bear — the animal
  24. patient — a sick person

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