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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. pass — a permit
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. rest — a break
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. net — for catching
  8. charge — electricity
  9. charge — a price
  10. saw — the tool
  11. net — in sport
  12. perch — the fish
  13. rest — what's left
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. charge — in control
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. net — after costs
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. rest — what's left

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