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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. march — the month
  5. object — an aim
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. object — to protest
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. roll — a list
  11. march — the month
  12. present — a gift
  13. roll — a cake
  14. mug — a cup
  15. mug — a face
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. march — music
  18. sharp — clever
  19. present — there
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. object — a thing
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. present — the time now
  24. mug — to rob

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