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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 116 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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. pass — a permit
  3. spell — magic
  4. wake — a trail
  5. spell — a short time
  6. bore — to tire
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. field — for sport
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. field — farmland
  11. game — a match
  12. game — wild animals
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. field — a subject
  15. track — to keep track
  16. mug — to rob
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. mug — a cup
  19. track — a path
  20. bore — to drill
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. mug — a face
  23. track — a song
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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