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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. present — the time now
  3. board — to get on
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. present — there
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. pass — a permit
  12. spell — a short time
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. spell — letters
  15. present — a gift
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. track — to keep track
  18. spell — magic
  19. track — a path
  20. board — a committee
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. track — a song

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