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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pass · chip · land · march · bowl · fall · racket · wake

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. march — the month
  7. fall — the season
  8. fall — to drop
  9. chip — for betting
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. land — to come down
  14. land — ground
  15. pass — a permit
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. land — a country
  18. chip — to eat
  19. march — music
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. march — the month
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. fall — to drop
  24. wake — a trail

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