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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. file — a document
  3. season — of the year
  4. mate — a friend
  5. track — a path
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. track — to keep track
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. bulb — for light
  11. file — a tool
  12. mate — to breed
  13. pass — a permit
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. row — a line
  17. file — a line of people
  18. season — in sport
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. row — to paddle
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. mate — a partner
  23. track — a song
  24. bulb — for light

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