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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. spell — magic
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. pass — a permit
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. perch — the fish
  8. squash — to crush
  9. pit — in a race
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. pit — a hole
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. ground — the earth
  14. dip — to sink
  15. ground — crushed
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. ground — a position
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. spell — a short time
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. chair — a leader
  22. spell — letters
  23. squash — the sport
  24. dip — to dunk

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