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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pit · jam · bound · pass · fine · mug · drill · land

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. bound — certain
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. mug — a cup
  7. drill — a practice
  8. drill — army training
  9. fine — high quality
  10. land — a country
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. pit — in a race
  13. pass — a permit
  14. fine — all right
  15. bound — obliged
  16. mug — to rob
  17. mug — a face
  18. land — to come down
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. drill — the tool
  21. bound — tied together
  22. land — ground
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. pass — to spend time

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