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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 120 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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. pit — a hole
  3. pass — a permit
  4. pit — in a race
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. degree — from a university
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. dip — to sink
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. degree — an amount
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. plane — a tool
  14. degree — temperature
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. content — happy
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. content — the amount
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. plane — in geometry

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