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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. rock — music
  4. rock — a stone
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. spring — of water
  7. game — wild animals
  8. degree — temperature
  9. rash — hasty
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. degree — an amount
  12. game — a match
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. rush — hurry
  17. spring — a coil
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. rash — a series
  20. degree — from a university
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. pass — a permit
  23. foot — a measure
  24. spring — the season

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