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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. spring — of water
  3. spring — the season
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. tube — a container
  7. squash — the sport
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. squash — to crush
  11. tube — the underground
  12. spring — a coil
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. stem — to come from
  19. pitch — completely
  20. perch — the fish
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. pass — a permit
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. perch — for a bird

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