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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  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. coach — a trainer
  2. ball — a great time
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. court — of law
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. pound — a weight
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. object — a thing
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. ball — a dance
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. snap — to click
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. object — an aim
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. court — for sport
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. pass — a permit
  20. court — of a king
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. wound — an injury
  23. ball — a round shape
  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