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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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. pass — to spend time
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. rash — hasty
  6. field — for sport
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rest — what's left
  11. field — a subject
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. kid — child
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. rest — a break
  17. pass — a permit
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. rash — a series
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. field — farmland
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. kid — to tease

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