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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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. scale — in music
  4. game — a match
  5. toast — bread
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. file — a document
  8. mug — a face
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. scale — size or range
  11. land — to come down
  12. file — a line of people
  13. land — a country
  14. mug — a cup
  15. pass — a permit
  16. mug — to rob
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. game — wild animals
  19. present — there
  20. file — a tool
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. land — ground
  23. present — the time now
  24. present — a gift

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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