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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  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. pit — a hole
  2. saw — the tool
  3. capital — a city
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. pit — in a race
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. pass — a permit
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bass — the fish
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. fine — all right
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. fine — high quality
  18. capital — money
  19. bass — low music
  20. plane — a tool
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. plane — in geometry
  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