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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. content — the amount
  7. pass — a permit
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. content — happy
  11. key — for a lock
  12. mark — a grade
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. perch — the fish
  15. pit — a hole
  16. mark — a trace
  17. pit — in a race
  18. key — the most important part
  19. tube — the underground
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. key — in music
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. tube — a container
  24. perch — for a bird

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