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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. capital — a city
  6. pitch — completely
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. branch — a division
  9. cold — an illness
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. cold — not warm
  17. foot — a measure
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. capital — money
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. pass — to succeed

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