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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 120 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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. bound — certain
  4. bound — tied together
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. bound — obliged
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. ground — the earth
  9. ground — crushed
  10. track — to keep track
  11. last — final
  12. pass — a permit
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. last — to go on
  15. last — finally
  16. track — a song
  17. ground — a position
  18. track — a path
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. mug — a face
  22. mug — a cup
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hide — animal skin

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