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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. fine — high quality
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. track — to keep track
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. shower — rain
  8. pass — a permit
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. spell — magic
  11. fine — all right
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. row — a line
  14. track — a song
  15. field — for sport
  16. track — a path
  17. shower — to wash
  18. spell — a short time
  19. field — a subject
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — to be able to
  22. field — farmland
  23. spell — letters
  24. row — to paddle

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