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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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. pass — to spend time
  4. foot — a measure
  5. can — a tin
  6. sharp — clever
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. can — to be able to
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. pitch — completely
  12. can — a tin
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. stock — goods
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. stock — shares
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. press — newspapers
  21. press — a publisher
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. press — to push
  24. sharp — exactly

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