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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. pass — a permit
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. last — final
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. last — to go on
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. present — there
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. pitch — completely
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. present — the time now
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fork — in a road
  18. present — a gift
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. dip — to sink
  21. chair — a leader
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. last — finally

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