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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. content — happy
  3. content — the amount
  4. mug — a face
  5. mug — to rob
  6. game — a match
  7. object — an aim
  8. game — wild animals
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. board — a committee
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. rush — hurry
  14. board — to get on
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. mug — a cup
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. object — a thing
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. object — to protest

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