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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 120 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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. track — to keep track
  3. swing — in golf
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. swing — music
  6. march — the month
  7. season — of the year
  8. tear — to rip
  9. saw — the tool
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. pit — in a race
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. march — music
  14. season — in sport
  15. march — the month
  16. track — a path
  17. saw — the tool
  18. track — a song
  19. pass — a permit
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. tear — from crying
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. tear — from crying
  24. swing — to play on

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