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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.

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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. capital — money
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. saw — the tool
  6. rock — a stone
  7. pass — a permit
  8. ground — a position
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. rock — music
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. ground — crushed
  13. capital — a city
  14. saw — the tool
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. ground — the earth
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. mark — a grade

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