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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 shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. current — happening now
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. current — electric
  6. spell — letters
  7. spell — a short time
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. pass — a permit
  11. spell — magic
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. fork — in a road
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. mine — for digging
  18. rush — hurry
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. bear — the animal
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. bear — the animal
  24. current — of water

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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