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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. pit — in a race
  3. present — there
  4. present — a gift
  5. key — in music
  6. key — for a lock
  7. key — the most important part
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. present — the time now
  10. pass — a permit
  11. dip — to sink
  12. rash — hasty
  13. shower — rain
  14. shower — to wash
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. rash — a series
  17. ball — a great time
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. ball — a dance
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. pit — a hole
  24. dip — a sauce

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