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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 120 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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. rock — music
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. rush — hurry
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. craft — boats
  11. bat — the animal
  12. rock — a stone
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. cap — a hat
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. pound — a weight
  18. craft — a skill
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. perch — the fish
  22. cap — a lid
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. cap — of ice

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