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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 124 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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. mate — a friend
  3. spring — the season
  4. cue — a signal
  5. cue — a hint
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. last — final
  8. cue — for pool
  9. spring — a coil
  10. chest — of your body
  11. prune — to trim
  12. pass — a permit
  13. spring — of water
  14. chest — of your body
  15. prune — to trim
  16. mate — a partner
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. last — to go on
  19. chest — a box
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. last — finally
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. mate — to breed
  24. pitch — completely

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