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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. pit — a hole
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. spell — magic
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. spell — a short time
  8. tube — a container
  9. march — the month
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. fine — all right
  12. season — of the year
  13. season — in sport
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. march — music
  16. march — the month
  17. tube — the underground
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. spell — letters
  20. band — a ring
  21. pit — in a race
  22. band — a music group
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. fine — high quality

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