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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. squash — to crush
  5. chest — a box
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. chest — of your body
  10. bulb — for light
  11. march — the month
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. march — the month
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. rash — hasty
  17. pitch — completely
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. chest — of your body
  21. march — music
  22. rash — a series
  23. squash — the sport
  24. bulb — for light

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