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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. rash — hasty
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. march — the month
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. rash — a series
  12. race — humankind
  13. stand — to bear
  14. pit — in a race
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. key — for a lock
  17. march — music
  18. key — the most important part
  19. race — a contest
  20. key — in music
  21. race — the arms race
  22. pass — a permit
  23. pit — a hole
  24. march — the month

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