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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. staff — employees
  4. bulb — for light
  5. rush — hurry
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. staff — a stick
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. scale — in music
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. pit — a hole
  18. staff — employees
  19. pit — in a race
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. bulb — for light
  22. pass — a permit
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. scale — size or range

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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