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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. rock — music
  4. fine — all right
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. mate — to breed
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mate — a partner
  9. pass — a permit
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. craft — a skill
  12. shower — rain
  13. mate — a friend
  14. pit — a hole
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. pit — in a race
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. rock — a stone
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. shower — to wash
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. fine — high quality

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