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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. bear — the animal
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. club — for dancing
  7. pass — a permit
  8. wound — an injury
  9. club — a group
  10. wound — an injury
  11. foot — a measure
  12. press — to push
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. bear — the animal
  15. press — newspapers
  16. race — the arms race
  17. pitch — completely
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. club — for golf
  20. race — a contest
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. press — a publisher
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. race — humankind

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