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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. bat — the animal
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. dip — to sink
  7. drill — the tool
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. march — music
  10. march — the month
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. pass — a permit
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. drill — army training
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. chair — a leader
  23. march — the month
  24. drill — a practice

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