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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. pop — to visit
  3. can — to be able to
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. fork — in a road
  6. cold — not warm
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — for light
  9. court — of a king
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. court — of law
  12. court — for sport
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. pop — soda
  15. cold — an illness
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. can — a tin
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. pop — music
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. can — a tin
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. pass — to spend time

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