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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. current — of water
  3. rest — a break
  4. pit — a hole
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. current — happening now
  7. rest — what's left
  8. board — to get on
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. current — electric
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. scale — in music
  16. mine — for digging
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. pit — in a race
  21. board — a committee
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. scale — size or range
  24. rest — what's left

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