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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. field — farmland
  5. pit — in a race
  6. squash — the sport
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. tear — from crying
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. tear — from crying
  12. rock — a stone
  13. pit — a hole
  14. rock — music
  15. fine — high quality
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. fine — all right
  18. squash — to crush
  19. pass — a permit
  20. tear — to rip
  21. field — a subject
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. field — for sport
  24. mouse — the animal

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