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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. mate — a friend
  4. wound — an injury
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. mate — to breed
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. pit — a hole
  9. chip — for betting
  10. chip — to eat
  11. pit — in a race
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. wound — an injury
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. cue — a signal
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. cue — a hint
  19. mate — a partner
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. cue — for pool
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. stem — to come from

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