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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. spring — a coil
  7. pass — a permit
  8. perch — the fish
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. spring — of water
  11. row — to paddle
  12. wake — a trail
  13. spring — the season
  14. march — the month
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. march — the month
  17. craft — a skill
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. craft — boats
  20. row — a line
  21. march — music
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. pitcher — a jug

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