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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. staff — a stick
  5. game — a match
  6. staff — employees
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. pit — a hole
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. shower — to wash
  13. present — there
  14. staff — employees
  15. craft — boats
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. pit — in a race
  19. present — a gift
  20. pass — a permit
  21. present — the time now
  22. game — wild animals
  23. craft — a skill
  24. craft — a handicraft

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