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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. suit — clothes
  4. suit — in cards
  5. field — farmland
  6. wake — a trail
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. saw — the tool
  9. pass — a permit
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. field — a subject
  12. field — for sport
  13. fine — high quality
  14. row — to paddle
  15. fine — all right
  16. drill — a practice
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. row — a line
  20. drill — the tool
  21. suit — to fit
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. saw — the tool
  24. drill — army training

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