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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. rest — a break
  7. mark — a trace
  8. march — music
  9. object — a thing
  10. pass — a permit
  11. object — an aim
  12. rest — what's left
  13. current — happening now
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. mark — a grade
  16. march — the month
  17. current — electric
  18. bat — the animal
  19. current — of water
  20. rest — what's left
  21. object — to protest
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. march — the month

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