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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. can — a tin
  3. suit — clothes
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. can — to be able to
  6. can — a tin
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. hand — help
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. suit — in cards
  12. fine — all right
  13. suit — to fit
  14. race — the arms race
  15. race — a contest
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. hand — in cards
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. shower — to wash
  22. fine — high quality
  23. shower — rain
  24. race — humankind

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