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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. land — ground
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bulb — for light
  5. land — to come down
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bound — certain
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. present — the time now
  11. land — a country
  12. sharp — clever
  13. bound — tied together
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. pass — a permit
  19. present — a gift
  20. bound — obliged
  21. present — there
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. coach — a trainer

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