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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. land — ground
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. can — to be able to
  6. court — for sport
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. fine — high quality
  9. can — a tin
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. court — of a king
  13. can — a tin
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. fine — all right
  17. sharp — clever
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. land — a country
  20. court — of law
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. land — to come down
  23. pass — a permit
  24. fine — a penalty

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