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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. land — to come down
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. mark — a trace
  7. fall — to drop
  8. season — of the year
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. pass — a permit
  11. land — ground
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. swing — in golf
  14. fall — the season
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. land — a country
  17. fall — to drop
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. pound — a weight
  20. swing — music
  21. swing — to play on
  22. mark — a grade
  23. season — in sport
  24. safe — out of danger

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