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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. pitch — completely
  3. cap — of ice
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. pass — a permit
  6. track — a path
  7. cap — a lid
  8. wound — an injury
  9. track — to keep track
  10. wound — an injury
  11. cap — a hat
  12. land — ground
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. bear — the animal
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. can — a tin
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. can — to be able to
  20. can — a tin
  21. bear — the animal
  22. land — to come down
  23. track — a song
  24. land — a country

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