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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  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. pass — to succeed
  3. firm — steady
  4. rash — hasty
  5. chair — a leader
  6. fall — the season
  7. firm — a company
  8. object — a thing
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. mark — a trace
  11. pitch — completely
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fall — to drop
  16. object — to protest
  17. firm — decided
  18. rash — a series
  19. object — an aim
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. pitch — a sports field
  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