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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 116 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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. mine — for digging
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. rush — hurry
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. rash — a series
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. hand — in cards
  17. pitch — completely
  18. hand — help
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. rash — hasty
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. pass — a permit

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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