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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 120 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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. mate — a friend
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. bear — the animal
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. mate — a partner
  7. bore — to tire
  8. mate — to breed
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. pit — in a race
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. bore — to drill
  19. pass — a permit
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. pit — a hole
  22. pitch — completely
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. bear — the animal

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