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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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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. last — final
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. last — finally
  7. fine — all right
  8. pit — a hole
  9. club — for golf
  10. club — for dancing
  11. rule — government
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. rule — a law
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. club — a group
  16. fine — high quality
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. last — to go on
  19. pass — a permit
  20. pit — in a race
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. bat — the animal

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