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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. spring — of water
  3. spring — the season
  4. wake — a trail
  5. spring — a coil
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. rest — what's left
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. rest — what's left
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. pit — a hole
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. ball — a dance
  14. pit — in a race
  15. pass — a permit
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. scale — in music
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. ball — a great time
  21. scale — size or range
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. rest — a break
  24. scale — for weighing

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