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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. net — after costs
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. rest — a break
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. tube — a container
  8. present — the time now
  9. rest — what's left
  10. present — there
  11. tube — the underground
  12. net — in sport
  13. rest — what's left
  14. season — of the year
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. net — for catching
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. present — a gift
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. pass — a permit

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