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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 116 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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. row — to paddle
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. pass — a permit
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. row — a line
  12. lean — to bend
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. lean — thin
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. perch — the fish
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bat — the animal
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bat — for baseball

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