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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. cold — not warm
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. club — a group
  10. season — in sport
  11. club — for dancing
  12. season — of the year
  13. wake — a trail
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cold — an illness
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. pass — a permit
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. club — for golf
  24. pitch — completely

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