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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: sharp · pass · bat · wake · suit · capital · jam · cell

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. sharp — clever
  3. cell — in biology
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. pass — a permit
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. suit — clothes
  9. cell — a phone
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. suit — to fit
  13. bat — the animal
  14. suit — in cards
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. wake — a trail
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. capital — money
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. capital — a city
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. pass — to succeed

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