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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. perch — the fish
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. pass — a permit
  7. spell — a short time
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. fine — high quality
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. date — the fruit
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. bound — obliged
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. spell — letters
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. fine — all right
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. spell — magic
  22. bound — certain
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. bowl — to roll

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