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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 116 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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. scale — size or range
  3. firm — a company
  4. pass — a permit
  5. firm — steady
  6. season — in sport
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. charge — electricity
  9. band — a ring
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. band — a music group
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. charge — in control
  15. charge — a price
  16. scale — in music
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. season — of the year
  19. rash — hasty
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. rash — a series
  24. firm — decided

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