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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. pop — to visit
  4. row — to paddle
  5. band — a music group
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. band — a ring
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. pitch — completely
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. row — a line
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. pop — soda
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. pop — music
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. band — a rubber band

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