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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. cap — a lid
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. ground — the earth
  5. ground — crushed
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. pit — in a race
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. cap — of ice
  11. can — a tin
  12. court — of a king
  13. court — of law
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. ground — a position
  16. rush — hurry
  17. can — a tin
  18. pass — a permit
  19. bat — the animal
  20. court — for sport
  21. cap — a hat
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. pit — a hole
  24. bat — in an idiom

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