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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. track — to keep track
  4. ball — a great time
  5. pit — a hole
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. object — to protest
  8. track — a song
  9. can — a tin
  10. object — an aim
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. wound — an injury
  13. ball — a dance
  14. track — a path
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. can — to be able to
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pit — in a race
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. object — a thing
  22. wound — an injury
  23. can — a tin
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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