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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. rash — hasty
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. pit — in a race
  6. bore — to tire
  7. plane — a tool
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. bass — low music
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. track — a song
  12. track — a path
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bass — the fish
  15. rash — a series
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. pit — a hole
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. pass — a permit
  24. bore — to drill

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