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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. cap — a lid
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. court — for sport
  7. rush — hurry
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. saw — the tool
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. cue — for pool
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. cue — a hint
  14. cue — a signal
  15. kid — child
  16. cap — a hat
  17. court — of law
  18. cap — of ice
  19. court — of a king
  20. pass — a permit
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. kid — to tease
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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