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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. cap — a hat
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. staff — employees
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. band — a ring
  13. staff — employees
  14. prune — to trim
  15. pass — a permit
  16. band — a music group
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. prune — to trim
  19. cap — a lid
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. cap — of ice
  22. staff — a stick
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. cabinet — ministers

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