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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. net — after costs
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. mark — a grade
  6. cell — in biology
  7. net — for catching
  8. charge — in control
  9. race — humankind
  10. race — a contest
  11. mark — a trace
  12. pit — in a race
  13. cell — a phone
  14. charge — electricity
  15. pass — a permit
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. race — the arms race
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. net — in sport
  22. charge — a price
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. pit — a hole

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