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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. pit — a hole
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. court — for sport
  8. court — of a king
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. court — of law
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. pit — in a race
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. pass — a permit
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. rush — hurry

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