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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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. deal — to handle
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. rest — a break
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. rest — what's left
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. stand — to bear
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. rest — what's left
  12. chair — a leader
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. file — a line of people
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. roll — a list
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. tube — the underground
  20. file — a document
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. file — a tool
  23. tube — a container
  24. roll — a cake

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