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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. tube — a container
  3. net — in sport
  4. deal — to handle
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. rush — hurry
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. tube — the underground
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. current — electric
  11. pass — a permit
  12. current — of water
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. shower — rain
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. net — after costs
  17. shower — to wash
  18. ball — a great time
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. current — happening now
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. ball — a dance
  23. net — for catching
  24. tube — in a tire

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