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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. rest — what's left
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. rest — a break
  5. staff — employees
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. charge — in control
  8. game — a match
  9. degree — from a university
  10. game — wild animals
  11. staff — employees
  12. content — the amount
  13. degree — temperature
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. charge — electricity
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. staff — a stick
  18. content — happy
  19. charge — a price
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. rest — what's left
  22. pass — a permit
  23. degree — an amount
  24. game — a kind of play

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