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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. mate — a friend
  5. mate — to breed
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. firm — steady
  9. firm — decided
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. firm — a company
  12. mate — a partner
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. pitch — completely
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. pass — a permit
  18. sharp — clever
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. fan — a supporter

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