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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. ball — a great time
  4. season — of the year
  5. season — in sport
  6. mug — to rob
  7. scale — in music
  8. pass — a permit
  9. mug — a cup
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. scale — size or range
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. ball — a dance
  17. mug — a face
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. bore — to tire
  23. bore — to drill
  24. ruler — for measuring

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