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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. pit — a hole
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. sharp — clever
  6. land — a country
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. pass — a permit
  9. pit — in a race
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. track — to keep track
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. land — to come down
  16. land — ground
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. track — a song
  23. track — a path
  24. bear — the animal

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