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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. spell — magic
  4. ground — the earth
  5. spell — letters
  6. deal — to handle
  7. land — a country
  8. ground — a position
  9. ball — a dance
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. pass — a permit
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. ground — crushed
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. spell — a short time
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. land — to come down
  21. ball — a great time
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. pit — in a race
  24. land — ground

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