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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. march — the month
  3. club — for golf
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. spell — a short time
  6. club — for dancing
  7. cap — a hat
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. ground — a position
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. cap — a lid
  12. spell — magic
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. spell — letters
  16. cap — of ice
  17. march — music
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. ground — the earth
  20. pass — a permit
  21. march — the month
  22. club — a group
  23. ground — crushed
  24. hide — to keep secret

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