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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 120 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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. spring — the season
  5. club — for dancing
  6. club — for golf
  7. fall — to drop
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. club — a group
  10. fall — to drop
  11. spring — a coil
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. pass — a permit
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. spring — of water
  17. fall — the season
  18. pound — a weight
  19. mark — a trace
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. pitch — completely
  23. mark — a grade
  24. pound — to hit hard

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