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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. race — a contest
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. bulb — for light
  10. clip — to cut
  11. pitch — completely
  12. clip — for paper
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. race — humankind
  15. rock — a stone
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. rock — music
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. bulb — for light
  21. clip — a video
  22. race — the arms race
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. rock — to move gently

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