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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. rash — a series
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. spring — the season
  7. march — the month
  8. pass — a permit
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. march — music
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. rash — hasty
  17. march — the month
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. spring — a coil
  21. wake — a trail
  22. branch — a division
  23. spring — of water
  24. branch — of a tree

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