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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. mate — to breed
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. saw — the tool
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. spell — letters
  11. pit — in a race
  12. pit — a hole
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. spell — magic
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. pass — a permit
  18. mate — a partner
  19. fork — in a road
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. mate — a friend
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. spell — a short time
  24. saw — the tool

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