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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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Word bank
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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 · straw · game · field · can · mate · mine · mark

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. field — a subject
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. can — a tin
  9. mate — to breed
  10. mate — a partner
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — to be able to
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. field — for sport
  15. mark — a trace
  16. game — wild animals
  17. pass — a permit
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. mark — a grade
  20. game — a match
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. mine — for digging
  23. mate — a friend
  24. field — farmland

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