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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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. foot — the bottom
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stand — to bear
  6. march — the month
  7. tube — the underground
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. tube — a container
  11. march — the month
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. march — music
  16. rash — hasty
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. foot — a measure
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. mine — for digging
  22. rash — a series
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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