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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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. jam — a tight spot
  4. march — the month
  5. content — happy
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. march — the month
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. pop — music
  10. lie — to recline
  11. can — to be able to
  12. march — music
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. content — the amount
  15. can — a tin
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. rush — hurry
  19. can — a tin
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. pop — soda
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. pop — to visit

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