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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. pop — music
  5. mark — a trace
  6. bat — the animal
  7. pass — a permit
  8. mark — a grade
  9. bore — to tire
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. pop — soda
  12. bore — to drill
  13. race — the arms race
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. race — a contest
  16. pop — to visit
  17. race — humankind
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. safe — out of danger

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