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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. bat — the animal
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. tube — a container
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. content — the amount
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. charge — a price
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. charge — in control
  20. mark — a trace
  21. tube — the underground
  22. charge — electricity
  23. content — happy
  24. mark — a grade

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