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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. mark — a grade
  3. object — an aim
  4. date — the fruit
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. land — to come down
  7. clip — to cut
  8. pass — a permit
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. pitch — completely
  13. object — to protest
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. object — a thing
  16. clip — for paper
  17. land — a country
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. land — ground
  20. clip — a video
  21. mark — a trace
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. pass — to spend time

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