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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. file — a tool
  4. ball — a dance
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. pit — a hole
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. pitch — completely
  9. toast — bread
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. file — a document
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. file — a line of people
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. ball — a great time
  17. last — finally
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. plane — a tool
  20. last — final
  21. last — to go on
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. pit — in a race
  24. toast — the most admired

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