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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. pass — a permit
  3. present — the time now
  4. present — a gift
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. bass — the fish
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. board — a committee
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. board — to get on
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. game — a match
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. game — wild animals
  18. present — there
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bass — low music
  23. toast — bread
  24. board — a flat piece

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