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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: rock · clip · stick · hand · fork · pass · date · spring

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. rock — music
  3. hand — in cards
  4. clip — to cut
  5. clip — a video
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. fork — in a road
  10. date — the fruit
  11. spring — a coil
  12. pass — a permit
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. hand — help
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. rock — a stone
  17. spring — of water
  18. spring — the season
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. clip — for paper

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