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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. sharp — clever
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. degree — an amount
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. degree — from a university
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. rush — hurry
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. degree — temperature
  15. fork — in a road
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. saw — the tool
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. saw — the tool
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. fork — to eat with

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