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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. march — music
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. staff — employees
  9. march — the month
  10. game — a match
  11. rush — hurry
  12. march — the month
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — for light
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. staff — employees
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. game — wild animals
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. dip — to sink
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. pass — a permit
  24. game — a kind of play

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