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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. chair — a leader
  3. degree — from a university
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. fine — all right
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. degree — an amount
  12. tube — a container
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. fine — high quality
  17. degree — temperature
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. pass — a permit
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. vault — a safe

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