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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. rock — a stone
  5. rock — music
  6. track — a song
  7. plane — a tool
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. clip — to cut
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. roll — a cake
  13. clip — for paper
  14. roll — a list
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. track — to keep track
  18. track — a path
  19. clip — a video
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. plane — an aircraft

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