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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. net — for catching
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. rule — a law
  5. rest — a break
  6. pass — a permit
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. rule — government
  9. rest — what's left
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. net — in sport
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. mark — a trace
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. mark — a grade
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. net — after costs

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