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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 116 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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. spring — of water
  4. sharp — clever
  5. rest — what's left
  6. spring — a coil
  7. swing — to play on
  8. cue — for pool
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. pit — a hole
  11. pit — in a race
  12. swing — music
  13. pass — a permit
  14. rest — what's left
  15. cue — a hint
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. spring — the season
  18. stand — to bear
  19. cue — a signal
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. rest — a break
  23. swing — in golf
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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