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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. pit — a hole
  4. pass — a permit
  5. can — a tin
  6. mug — a cup
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. chair — a leader
  11. mug — to rob
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. mug — a face
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. can — to be able to
  16. cold — not warm
  17. can — a tin
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. cold — an illness
  23. game — a match
  24. pit — in a race

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