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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. march — music
  3. mine — for digging
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. firm — a company
  6. season — of the year
  7. season — in sport
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. march — the month
  10. object — an aim
  11. track — a song
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. march — the month
  16. firm — decided
  17. pass — a permit
  18. track — to keep track
  19. object — a thing
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. track — a path
  22. firm — steady
  23. object — to protest
  24. mine — belonging to me

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