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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. tear — to rip
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. capital — money
  5. bulb — for light
  6. cue — a signal
  7. roll — a cake
  8. roll — a list
  9. tear — from crying
  10. saw — the tool
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. track — a path
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. cue — for pool
  17. track — a song
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. track — to keep track
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. saw — the tool
  22. capital — a city
  23. cue — a hint
  24. tear — from crying

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