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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. fine — all right
  7. rash — a series
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. pit — a hole
  12. scale — in music
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. bear — the animal
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. scale — size or range
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. rash — hasty
  19. prune — to trim
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. bear — the animal
  22. prune — to trim
  23. fine — high quality
  24. pit — in a race

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