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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. mark — a trace
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. mark — a grade
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. hand — in cards
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. pass — a permit
  16. pit — a hole
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. hand — help
  19. pit — in a race
  20. net — after costs
  21. net — in sport
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. net — for catching

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