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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've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. bat — the animal
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. track — a path
  8. stand — to bear
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. chip — to eat
  12. track — a song
  13. chip — for betting
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. pass — a permit
  16. spell — letters
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. spell — magic
  19. rash — a series
  20. rash — hasty
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. track — to keep track
  24. chip — in a computer

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