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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 116 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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. pass — a permit
  4. mine — for digging
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. scale — size or range
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. fork — in a road
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. craft — boats
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. chip — for betting
  15. chip — to eat
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. scale — in music
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. craft — a skill
  24. mine — belonging to me

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