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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. squash — the sport
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. rock — a stone
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — the tool
  8. row — a line
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. fork — in a road
  11. key — for a lock
  12. mark — a trace
  13. key — the most important part
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. row — to paddle
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. rock — music
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. key — in music
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. mark — a grade
  24. squash — to crush

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