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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  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 spend time
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. ball — a dance
  5. pass — a permit
  6. drill — a practice
  7. spring — the season
  8. fine — all right
  9. drill — the tool
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. track — to keep track
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. ball — a great time
  15. track — a song
  16. fine — high quality
  17. drill — army training
  18. spring — of water
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. mine — for digging
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. sharp — clever
  23. spring — a coil
  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