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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 116 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: field · pass · mug · deal · march · snap · rest · craft

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. deal — to handle
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rest — what's left
  6. pass — a permit
  7. march — the month
  8. march — music
  9. craft — a skill
  10. rest — a break
  11. field — a subject
  12. craft — boats
  13. mug — to rob
  14. mug — a cup
  15. field — for sport
  16. march — the month
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. field — farmland
  19. mug — a face
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. snap — to click
  24. craft — a handicraft

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