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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. board — a committee
  3. bat — the animal
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. board — to get on
  7. bass — the fish
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. pit — a hole
  10. pit — in a race
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. mark — a grade
  14. last — to go on
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bulb — for light
  17. pass — a permit
  18. mark — a trace
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. bulb — for light
  21. last — finally
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. last — final
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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