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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. cap — a hat
  6. stand — to bear
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. mine — for digging
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. pitch — completely
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. scale — size or range
  14. scale — in music
  15. chair — a leader
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. pass — a permit
  19. cap — of ice
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. cap — a lid
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. stand — on your feet

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