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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. deal — to handle
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. mine — for digging
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. pitch — completely
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — past of 'see'

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