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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. plane — a tool
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. pit — in a race
  8. land — to come down
  9. land — ground
  10. race — the arms race
  11. land — a country
  12. pass — a permit
  13. race — a contest
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. race — humankind
  17. board — a committee
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. board — to get on
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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