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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. fine — all right
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. fine — high quality
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — a break
  7. rest — what's left
  8. bulb — for light
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. club — a group
  12. field — farmland
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. club — for golf
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. club — for dancing
  18. pass — a permit
  19. field — a subject
  20. bulb — for light
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. field — for sport
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. lash — an eyelash

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