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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. bound — tied together
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. drill — army training
  6. track — a path
  7. bound — obliged
  8. rule — government
  9. track — to keep track
  10. race — the arms race
  11. drill — a practice
  12. bound — certain
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. drill — the tool
  15. race — a contest
  16. pass — a permit
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. race — humankind
  19. bear — the animal
  20. pit — a hole
  21. track — a song
  22. rule — a law
  23. bear — the animal
  24. pit — in a race

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