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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. foot — a measure
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. mate — to breed
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. mate — a partner
  7. fork — in a road
  8. pass — a permit
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. capital — money
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. drill — a practice
  16. capital — a city
  17. mate — a friend
  18. drill — army training
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. drill — the tool
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. rash — hasty
  24. capital — a big letter

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