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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. pit — a hole
  5. bat — the animal
  6. club — a group
  7. club — for golf
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. pass — a permit
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. stand — to bear
  16. cold — an illness
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. cold — not warm
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. pit — in a race
  23. club — for dancing
  24. bat — in an idiom

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