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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. court — of law
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. degree — an amount
  7. vault — a safe
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. degree — temperature
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — to recline
  14. pass — a permit
  15. degree — from a university
  16. court — for sport
  17. pit — in a race
  18. bulb — for light
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. court — of a king
  22. pit — a hole
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — of a plant

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