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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.

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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. pop — to visit
  4. squash — the sport
  5. pass — a permit
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. fine — all right
  8. squash — to crush
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. object — an aim
  11. pop — soda
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. fine — high quality
  15. pop — music
  16. object — a thing
  17. ball — a great time
  18. object — to protest
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. mark — a grade
  21. bat — the animal
  22. ball — a dance
  23. mark — a trace
  24. squash — the vegetable

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