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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. drill — army training
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. swing — to play on
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. deal — to handle
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. tube — the underground
  12. spring — a coil
  13. swing — in golf
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. drill — the tool
  16. drill — a practice
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bound — tied together
  19. spring — of water
  20. tube — a container
  21. swing — music
  22. bound — obliged
  23. bound — certain
  24. spring — the season

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