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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. mark — a grade
  3. pit — a hole
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. pop — soda
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. pop — to visit
  9. march — the month
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. pass — a permit
  13. pop — music
  14. pit — in a race
  15. march — music
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. track — to keep track
  18. track — a song
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. march — the month
  22. mark — a trace
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. track — a path

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