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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 wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. season — of the year
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. pass — a permit
  7. last — to go on
  8. last — final
  9. last — finally
  10. season — in sport
  11. perch — the fish
  12. roll — a list
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. court — of law
  15. roll — a cake
  16. court — of a king
  17. court — for sport
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. fork — in a road
  24. pass — to succeed

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