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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. fine — high quality
  3. ball — a dance
  4. ball — a great time
  5. pit — a hole
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. fine — all right
  8. firm — decided
  9. pass — a permit
  10. spell — a short time
  11. spell — magic
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. firm — a company
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. pit — in a race
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. spell — letters
  24. pitcher — a jug

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