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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. mark — a trace
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. march — the month
  6. mark — a grade
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. wind — moving air
  10. march — music
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. pass — a permit
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. hand — help
  19. pitch — completely
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. hand — in cards
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. wind — moving air
  24. march — the month

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