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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 120 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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. season — in sport
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. season — of the year
  7. pound — a weight
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. chair — a leader
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. fork — in a road

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