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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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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. foot — the bottom
  4. present — a gift
  5. hand — help
  6. foot — a measure
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. pitch — completely
  10. present — there
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. hand — in cards
  14. present — the time now
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. chest — of your body
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. chest — a box
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. chest — of your body
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. sharp — clever

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