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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. fork — in a road
  4. field — farmland
  5. rest — a break
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. board — a committee
  8. tear — from crying
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. rest — what's left
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. field — a subject
  13. scale — size or range
  14. tear — from crying
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. rest — what's left
  17. field — for sport
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. board — to get on
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. pass — a permit
  23. scale — in music
  24. tear — to rip

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