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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. spell — magic
  3. pop — music
  4. spell — letters
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bear — the animal
  8. season — of the year
  9. pop — soda
  10. pop — to visit
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. spell — a short time
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. pitch — completely
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. pit — in a race
  20. pit — a hole
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. pass — a permit
  23. bear — the animal
  24. season — in sport

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