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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 116 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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. content — the amount
  3. ground — crushed
  4. dip — to sink
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. pit — in a race
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. content — happy
  14. ground — a position
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. saw — the tool
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. pass — a permit
  19. rush — hurry
  20. ground — the earth
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. saw — the tool
  24. pit — a hole

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