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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. club — for golf
  3. pass — a permit
  4. club — for dancing
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. club — a group
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. stem — to come from
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. season — in sport
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. track — a path
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. track — to keep track
  18. scale — in music
  19. season — of the year
  20. track — a song
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. scale — size or range

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