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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. swing — in golf
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. swing — music
  6. race — the arms race
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. mark — a grade
  9. drill — army training
  10. race — a contest
  11. pit — a hole
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. swing — to play on
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. pass — a permit
  17. mark — a trace
  18. race — humankind
  19. content — happy
  20. content — the amount
  21. drill — a practice
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. drill — the tool
  24. pit — in a race

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