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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. pitch — completely
  3. craft — boats
  4. face — to confront
  5. current — electric
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. tear — from crying
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. current — of water
  12. club — a group
  13. season — of the year
  14. craft — a skill
  15. club — for golf
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. tear — from crying
  18. face — part of the head
  19. tear — to rip
  20. pass — a permit
  21. club — for dancing
  22. current — happening now
  23. face — to point toward
  24. season — in sport

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