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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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. cue — a hint
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. mate — a friend
  5. cue — for pool
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. firm — a company
  8. court — for sport
  9. mate — a partner
  10. cue — a signal
  11. pass — a permit
  12. object — to protest
  13. mate — to breed
  14. firm — steady
  15. object — an aim
  16. bore — to drill
  17. firm — decided
  18. mine — for digging
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. court — of a king
  21. bore — to tire
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. object — a thing
  24. pass — to spend time

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