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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 116 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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. hand — help
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. net — after costs
  11. net — in sport
  12. saw — the tool
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. stand — to bear
  15. chair — a leader
  16. hand — in cards
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. pit — in a race
  22. pass — a permit
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. net — for catching

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