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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  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. pass — to spend time
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. game — a match
  4. game — wild animals
  5. pass — a permit
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. object — to protest
  8. object — a thing
  9. track — to keep track
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. mark — a grade
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. bulb — for light
  16. shower — rain
  17. object — an aim
  18. track — a song
  19. bulb — for light
  20. shower — to wash
  21. bore — to tire
  22. track — a path
  23. mark — a trace
  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