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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. pass — a permit
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. toast — bread
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — for light
  10. fine — all right
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. fine — high quality
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. bat — the animal

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