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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — for light
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. bass — low music
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. game — wild animals
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. bass — the fish
  12. can — a tin
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. game — a match
  15. fork — in a road
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. can — a tin
  21. pass — a permit
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. can — to be able to

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