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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. rock — a stone
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. tear — to rip
  6. pass — a permit
  7. rock — music
  8. tear — from crying
  9. court — of a king
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. court — for sport
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. tear — from crying
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. bulb — for light
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. court — of law

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