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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  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. object — an aim
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. prune — to trim
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. can — to be able to
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. bass — low music
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. rash — a series
  14. prune — to trim
  15. pit — in a race
  16. can — a tin
  17. bass — the fish
  18. object — a thing
  19. rash — hasty
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pass — a permit
  22. object — to protest
  23. can — a tin
  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