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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. track — a song
  5. pass — a permit
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. bore — to drill
  8. mug — to rob
  9. track — to keep track
  10. ground — a position
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. roll — a cake
  13. mug — a face
  14. mug — a cup
  15. bore — to tire
  16. ground — crushed
  17. season — in sport
  18. ground — the earth
  19. track — a path
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. wake — a trail
  22. roll — a list
  23. season — of the year
  24. season — to add flavour

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