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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. fine — high quality
  4. wound — an injury
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. bound — certain
  10. pound — a weight
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. pass — a permit
  13. bound — tied together
  14. fine — all right
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. track — to keep track
  18. bound — obliged
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. row — to paddle
  21. wound — an injury
  22. track — a song
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. track — a path

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