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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pitcher · season · pop · pass · track · mine · spell · sharp

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. spell — a short time
  3. spell — magic
  4. pass — a permit
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. track — a path
  9. pop — soda
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. pop — to visit
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. track — a song
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. season — in sport
  18. season — of the year
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. sharp — clever
  21. track — to keep track
  22. mine — for digging
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. spell — letters

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