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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. bass — low music
  5. fork — in a road
  6. cold — an illness
  7. pit — a hole
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. cold — not warm
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. spring — of water
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. plane — a tool
  14. can — a tin
  15. pit — in a race
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. bass — the fish
  18. can — a tin
  19. spring — a coil
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. can — to be able to
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. pass — a permit
  24. cold — the Cold War

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