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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.

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: wind · track · ball · march · bore · row · jam · pass

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. ball — a great time
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. pass — a permit
  9. ball — a dance
  10. row — a line
  11. march — the month
  12. track — a path
  13. march — the month
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. row — to paddle
  16. bore — to tire
  17. track — a song
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. bore — to drill
  20. wind — moving air
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. track — to keep track
  23. march — music
  24. pass — to succeed

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