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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. clip — a video
  4. mug — to rob
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. mug — a cup
  7. sharp — clever
  8. bound — certain
  9. key — for a lock
  10. clip — to cut
  11. key — the most important part
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bass — low music
  16. pass — a permit
  17. clip — for paper
  18. key — in music
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. pit — in a race
  21. mug — a face
  22. bass — the fish
  23. bound — obliged
  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