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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. rash — a series
  3. charge — electricity
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. band — a music group
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. pass — a permit
  11. charge — in control
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. charge — a price
  14. pit — in a race
  15. stand — to bear
  16. sharp — clever
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. band — a ring
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. rash — hasty
  22. pit — a hole
  23. bat — the animal
  24. rash — on the skin

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