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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 116 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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. saw — the tool
  5. cap — a lid
  6. mate — to breed
  7. game — a match
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. pound — a weight
  11. saw — the tool
  12. game — wild animals
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. mate — a friend
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. mate — a partner
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. cap — a hat
  23. pass — a permit
  24. cap — of ice

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