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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. scale — in music
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. scale — size or range
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. present — a gift
  12. present — the time now
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. present — there
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. pass — a permit
  21. season — in sport
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. season — of the year

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