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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. fall — the season
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. pass — a permit
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bear — the animal
  11. craft — a skill
  12. fork — in a road
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. fall — to drop
  15. pitch — completely
  16. deal — to handle
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. craft — boats
  21. fall — to drop
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. pitch — a sports field

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