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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. object — an aim
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. band — a ring
  5. pass — a permit
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — the fish
  8. cap — a hat
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. object — a thing
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. bulb — for light
  17. band — a music group
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. cap — a lid
  20. cap — of ice
  21. date — the fruit
  22. object — to protest
  23. bulb — for light
  24. pass — to spend time

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