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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. bat — the animal
  3. tube — the underground
  4. suit — clothes
  5. fine — all right
  6. charge — electricity
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. suit — in cards
  9. fine — high quality
  10. charge — a price
  11. hand — help
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. charge — in control
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. rock — a stone
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. pass — a permit
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. hand — in cards
  22. tube — a container
  23. suit — to fit
  24. rock — music

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