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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. deal — to handle
  3. pit — in a race
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. net — in sport
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. pass — a permit
  11. ground — the earth
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. branch — a division
  16. ground — a position
  17. net — after costs
  18. chest — of your body
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. ground — crushed
  21. net — for catching
  22. pit — a hole
  23. chest — a box
  24. chest — of your body

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