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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. mug — a cup
  5. season — of the year
  6. pass — a permit
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. mug — a face
  9. season — in sport
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. wake — a trail
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. net — after costs
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. mug — to rob
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. mine — for digging
  20. stem — to come from
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. net — in sport
  23. net — for catching
  24. season — to add flavour

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