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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. rash — a series
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. season — of the year
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. march — the month
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. ball — a great time
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. pass — a permit
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. rash — hasty
  17. bore — to tire
  18. season — in sport
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. ball — a dance
  21. march — the month
  22. bore — to drill
  23. march — music
  24. mouse — the animal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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