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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. last — to go on
  3. bear — the animal
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. bear — the animal
  6. track — to keep track
  7. track — a song
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. stock — shares
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. pass — a permit
  16. last — final
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. spell — letters
  19. chair — a leader
  20. spell — magic
  21. stock — goods
  22. spell — a short time
  23. last — finally
  24. track — a path

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