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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. ground — a position
  3. mate — a partner
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. staff — employees
  6. mate — to breed
  7. mark — a grade
  8. staff — a stick
  9. ground — crushed
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. mate — a friend
  15. ground — the earth
  16. mark — a trace
  17. game — wild animals
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. game — a match
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. staff — employees
  23. ball — a great time
  24. ball — a dance

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