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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. pass — a permit
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. rock — a stone
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bat — the animal
  7. race — a contest
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. cap — a lid
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. cap — of ice
  13. fine — high quality
  14. fine — all right
  15. drill — the tool
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. drill — army training
  18. drill — a practice
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. cap — a hat
  21. race — humankind
  22. rock — music
  23. race — the arms race
  24. bat — for baseball

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