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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. mug — to rob
  5. fork — in a road
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. fine — all right
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. toast — bread
  11. fine — high quality
  12. cold — an illness
  13. mug — a face
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. mug — a cup
  18. wake — a trail
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. pass — a permit
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. cold — not warm
  24. pass — to succeed

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