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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. march — the month
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. march — music
  9. face — part of the head
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. bear — the animal
  12. face — to point toward
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. bear — the animal
  16. face — to confront
  17. mark — a grade
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. march — the month
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. mark — a trace

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