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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. track — a song
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. key — for a lock
  7. lean — to bend
  8. key — the most important part
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. track — to keep track
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. squash — to crush
  14. pass — a permit
  15. key — in music
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — the animal
  20. squash — the sport
  21. track — a path
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. fork — in a road
  24. bowl — a football final

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