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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. pass — a permit
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. bulb — for light
  7. shower — rain
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. row — a line
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. row — to paddle
  15. land — to come down
  16. land — ground
  17. pitch — completely
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. deal — to handle
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. bulb — for light
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. land — a country

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