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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. tear — to rip
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. wake — a trail
  6. mate — to breed
  7. pass — a permit
  8. can — to be able to
  9. roll — a cake
  10. pitch — completely
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. tear — from crying
  15. mate — a partner
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. roll — a list
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. chair — a leader
  20. can — a tin
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. tear — from crying
  23. can — a tin
  24. mate — a friend

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