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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. mine — for digging
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. roll — a cake
  9. content — happy
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. roll — a list
  12. scale — in music
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. content — the amount
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. scale — size or range
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. stand — to bear
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. roll — on a roll

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