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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. track — a song
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. net — in sport
  5. last — to go on
  6. net — for catching
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. last — finally
  9. track — a path
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. can — a tin
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. pass — a permit
  15. last — final
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. stem — to come from
  18. net — after costs
  19. track — to keep track
  20. can — a tin
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. can — to be able to

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