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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. 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. mark — to pay attention
  2. pass — a permit
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. mark — a trace
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. prune — to trim
  7. fine — high quality
  8. drill — army training
  9. drill — a practice
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. mark — a grade
  13. prune — to trim
  14. drill — the tool
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. fine — all right
  17. pitch — completely
  18. 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