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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. present — the time now
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. bass — low music
  8. swing — in golf
  9. bass — the fish
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. net — in sport
  12. swing — to play on
  13. rash — a series
  14. pass — a permit
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. present — there
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. net — after costs
  20. swing — music
  21. rash — hasty
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. net — for catching
  24. present — a gift

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